ATHYRIUM filix-femina. Lady fern. An elegant California (and northern hemisphere, generally) native with a stout above-ground rhizome, eventually forming a short trunk. Lacy 3-6', apple-green fronds rise in symmetrical whorls in spring and summer, dying down in late autumn. It is one of the easiest of all ferns to grow, even volunteering from spores in protected parts of the garden. Light to medium shade, many soils, moderate to regular watering. Usually hardy to 0-10^oF.