For many gardeners, shade is equated with ferns, and because so many are deciduous in the Pacific NW, people tend to dismiss them out of hand. Yes, the Five-Fingered Maidenhair Fern (aka Northern Maidenhair) dies down in the winter, but oh, when those pink fiddleheads break the soil in the spring and unfurl into the black-stemmed, fresh green palmate fronds, they are SO worth it. Airy, dramatic, and unique among ferns, this maidenhair's fronds form a clump one to one-and-half feet wide and stand anywhere from a foot to almost three feet tall. Spreading slowly by underground rhizomes, the Five-Fingered Maidenhair fern is a beautiful addition to borders, hanging baskets, container planters, or en masse. Maidenhair ferns look their best when planted in well-draining soil and are not allowed to dry out during the summer.