Sword ferns Polystichum munitum are a native plant here in the Pacific NW. They are extremely hardy with an expansive root system making them indespensible in soil stabilization projects. A usually evergreen fern that integrate nicely into modern and rustic landscape designs. Over time the older fronds turn brown and new fronds emerge seasonally in Spring to rejuvenate the plant. Those old brown fronds eventually lay down in a ring around the base of the plant. Over time, the fern can start looking a bit raggedy with all the old brown fronds. Also the foliage may suffer from winter freezes.
In manicured landscapes, it may be desirable to occasionally prune out the old fronds. One can renovate sword ferns in “one fell swoop” by cropping back all the old foliage at once…tight cropped quite low to the ground (with hand pruners or shears). My fern vote is to wait and see how they are looking in February.
They don’t usually unfurl the new fronds till March/April. Leaving the old foliage helps protect the soil and provides habitat for beneficial insects and rare critters like our NW salamanders. So, if you can stand to wait until late Winter to cut them back, you will benefit from from the old vegetation over winter. Just don’t wait too long. If the new fronds have emerged it will be a tedious task snipping out the old fronds without damaging the fresh ones.
Someone told me even if u cut new fronds back in May they will produce more new fronds in very short time ….is that a correct assumption …I know that’s case with Bracken ferns
Craig,
Sword ferns are a member of the cane family (generally speaking for our pruning vocabulary), so the cutting back of fronds should indeed promote new growth. However, we usually try to do this in February or March when the weather is still cool and wet. Cutting them back in May should be okay, but there is a chance that it may damage the plant because we are headed into the drier, hot, summer months.
-Lilian
Help! I have a question about sowrd Ferns.. house sitting for family, living in the Pacific Northwest. They were cut back too much the other day ( in July), and I am so worried they are going to die. They are cut to the ground, no green leave things. just the base. I started to water them. Do they grow back when cut back in such a way? I dont know what to do, just looking for a answer.
If you water them, they should grow back just fine. But, you are correct, this is not the best time of year to cut back all the foliage. Keep on watering them. And then, water them more…for the rest of the summer. A deep soak twice a week should be good.
Hi there! Our backyard ferns got totally cooked in the super heatwave in Portland a couple weeks ago. The ferns have nearly all curled, some are still green on the inside, but most are dead.
Is it a huge risk to cut them back now (July 10)? Should we just wait it out until next winter/spring?
Thank you so much!!