Many gardeners bemoan the fact that so many shade plants are perennials, disappearing when the weather turns foul, and not emerging until spring. The Northern Maidenhair fern, aka Five-Fingered Maidenhair fern, makes a spectacular return, sending up pink fiddleheads before they unfurl into black-stemmed, frilly green fronds that form a finger-like display. Growing anywhere from 12 to 30 inches tall and about two feet wide, the Five-Fingered Maidenhair is eye-catching in borders or container planters, including hanging baskets. It will spread slowly via underground rhizomes, eventually forming a beautiful mass of airy foliage in the spring and summer. This maidenhair is definitely a shade lover and may get brown and crispy if exposed to too much sun or is not watered regularly throughout the growing season.