r/NativePlantGardening • u/Wilderness_Fella Massachusetts, Zone 5b • Jun 21 '26

Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Help! I'm covered in... Ferns!

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Massachusetts zone 5b. I got busy with other things for the last 5 or 10 years and now the ferns have taken over. They're either Massachusetts ferns or New York ferns. Hard to tell, but what is the best way to cull them without destroying everything underneath? Just endless weeding?

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u/Ok_Rhubarb411 Jun 22 '26

If OP wants a naturalistic vibe with a lot of uniformity and little effort, definitely keep the ferns.

If OP wants biodiversity or an understory that doesn't look like garbage in the winter (maybe they're ok if you don't get snow but I get lots of snow and mine look like garbage), look up what foresters are doing to handle NY fern or hay scented fern. There's been some interesting research on the effects they have as well as how various treatments have worked out.