Ferns – Beautiful foliage for a surprisingly wide variety of situations
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Whilst most ferns enjoy misture and a soil that never dries out completely, the requirement for water is not as necessary as many might believe. In fact, the list of ferns that enjoy a boggy site is probably much smaller than a list of those that will tolerate a dry site. Athyrium, Osmunda and Matteuccia are amongst the wettest lovers. Try these pages for more information on moisture requirements.
A generalisation would be that ferns like a fertile soil with good drainage. Many grow very well on shady banks. They frequently do best in bright shade, with most ferns being able to take a reasonable amount of sun providing that they do not endure full sun during the middle of the day. Asplenium is perhaps the most notable exception, with its leaves sometimes scorching.
As regards PH, most ferns will grow quite happily in any soil that doesn’t have and extreme of either acidity or alkalinity. If you were to rank them, Dryopteris, Athyrium and Osmunda would prefer a soil on the acid side, with Polystichum and Asplenium preferring in t alkaline. This however should be taken a s a guide not a strict prescription.
So to sum up, provided you can avoid a sunny South facing bank, or dry site on sand, you are likely to have success with ferns in a wide range of positions and soils. You might like to look at the following two pages to help refine your choices.
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Polystichum munitum. Christmas or Western Sword Fern. A really excellent evergreen fern whose fronds are long; even and gracefully curved making a lovely shape. The old fronds will need to be cut back in Spring to see the beauty of the newly emerging scaly croziers. A large and adaptable fern with a slowly spreading habit. 90cmDiscount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
Ferns - Garden Pictures
Ferns for Moist Sites
Ferns for Dry Sites
Ferns - Deciduous or Evergreen
Botanical Style Photographs
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Polystichum polyblepharum A magnificent large fern from Japan which will adapt to many positions, including dry shade. Glorious deep green shining fronds last really well into winter. As they emerge in Spring they are a pure delight, russet brown and covered in golden bristles. 90cm. The specific epithet 'polyblepharum' refers to the resemblance of the sori to 'many eyelids'. 60cmDiscount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Ferns for Moist Sites
Ferns for Dry Sites
Ferns - Deciduous or Evergreen
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Polystichum braunii. Prickly Shield Fern. A highly desirable fern whose beautiful fronds are silvery when young;  becoming bristly as they age.  Semi evergreen, keeping its fronds all Winter if conditions aren't too harsh. 60-90cm. Trim of old leaves to see the beuty of the emerging new fronds. Prefers moist shade, but will tolerate a fair degree of dryness. Has a very wide distribution with forms coming from America, Central Europe and AsiaDiscount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
Ferns - Garden Pictures
Ferns for Moist Sites
Ferns for Dry Sites
Ferns - Deciduous or Evergreen
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Polypodium vulgare - Polypody. An adaptable native fern whose spreading habit makes it ideal for evergreen ground-cover, especially in difficult dry shady positions. Will grow in quite dry conditions. Ideal for woodland plantings. 30cm tall with pleasing simply cut narrow triangular fronds. Needs good air movement and drainage to be at its best. Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Ferns for Moist Sites
Ferns for Dry Sites
Ferns - Deciduous or Evergreen
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Matteuccia struthiopteris. Ostrich Plume Fern. (Matteuccia germanica) A bold fern for a damp to wet site. The creeping underground stems producing a colony of regular, tall, pale green shuttlecocks that look especially good with the light shinng through their fronds. Shallow rooted, so easy to curb. to 150cm. Shade and moisture as long sun exposure can brown the frond tips. From Central EuropeDiscount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Ferns for Dry Sites
Ferns - Deciduous or Evergreen
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Asplenium scolopendrium 'Angustatum'. a selected form of our native Hart's tongue fern with attractive narrow, bright green fronds, a shade darker than the species, with a crinkled undulating margin. 45cm 18'' . A lovely foil for other plants or as a contract to other ferns. For shade. Will tolerate quite dry conditions once fully established. Prefers a little lime.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Ferns - Deciduous or Evergreen
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Asplenium scolopendrium 'Cristatum'. The fronds of this variety are split numerous times at the tip so that the end of the frond resembles a frilly fan. The usual vase shape of the Hart's tongue fern is replaced by a more domed effect. Shorter than the species, usually less than 30cm. Â Best in semi shade. Will only take dry sites if well shaded and once well established. 45cm. prefers a little lime.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Asplenium scolopendrium ( Phyllitis scolopendrium, Scolopendrium vulgare ). Harts Tongue Fern. Adaptable British native with broad bright green fronds that make an excellent foil for other plants and provide a contrasting form in any fern collection. Grows best in semi shade. Will only take dry sites if well shaded and not until it is well established. Prefers a little lime in the soil. 45cmDiscount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Ferns for Moist Sites
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Ferns - Deciduous or Evergreen
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Athyrium otophorum 'Okanum' is a very choice fern with striking colouration. The young fronds emerge a pale ochre with prominent maroon veining, giving the Spring plant far more the colours you expect of Autumn. It is especially striking with the light shining through the foliage. As spring progresses, the fronds assume a blue green tint.  A lovely fern to brighten a moist dark corner. 60cm. Retains its fronds longer than most female ferns. Deciduous, needs moisture.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overMore About Ferns
The Fern Order (Taxonomical List)
Botanical Style Photographs of Ferns
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Dryopteris affinis 'Cristata' ('The King'). A magnificent crested form of the golden-scaled male fern with fronds that are crested at the tips giving them a bit of a ladder-like appearance. Fronds have a tendency to grow erect. Will tolerate wide ranging conditions including dry shade; but prefers a moist soil. Semi evergreen fronds make a clump 90cm*90cmDiscount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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GOLDEN SCALED MALE FERN. Beautiful native fern which will tolerate wide ranging conditions including dry shade; but preferring a moist soil. Semi evergreen fronds make a clump 100cm*100cmDiscount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Ferns - Deciduous or Evergreen
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Dryopteris dilitata 'Crispa Whiteside'. Broad Buckler Fern. A beautiful form of a moisture loving British native fern with large broad spreading fronds intricately congested and wavy. 60cm. Very good for naturalising in woodlands and near water.  Like the species, except that all leafy parts of the frond are crispy. Originally found in the wild by Robert Whiteside, who considered it his best wild find. Later reintroduced by Reginald Kaye.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
Ferns - Garden Pictures
Ferns for Moist Sites
Ferns for Dry Sites
Ferns - Deciduous or Evergreen
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Potsize - 1L
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Ferns - Garden Pictures
Ferns for Moist Sites
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Potsize - 1L
A most unusual fern with magnificent and oddly shaped fronds that mark it out as quite distinct from any other Dryopteris. The leaves have a leathery quality with 2-5 pairs of broad pinnae and a long pointed terminal pinnule. (a further subdivision of the primary leaflets, known as the pinnae). It requires adequate moisture and a sheltered position as it is not bone-hardy in every Winter (covering the crown would help greatly in very cold Winters). In a choice position it can remain evergreen, but it will become deciduous as a protective measure against the cold. Use the old fronds as protection for the crown. It is slow to bulk up and propagate but well worth the wait. fronds eventually get 20-50 by 20-35cm and the rhizome will gradually creep. From japan and Taiwan. Zone 8, which includes most of England and Wales and the West coast of Scotland.Links
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Oak Fern. A verdant treasure of the freshest green. The short but upright stems carry their pinnae horizontally, an attractive feature. They are said to resemble an Oak's leaves, hence the species name dryo (Greek drys - Oak), pteris (fern), but this takes a bit of a leap of imagination that I have failed to muster ! It is however a really lovely little deciduous fern for ground cover in moist shady places on non-alkaline soils. The books say it needs acid soil, but our improved Oxford Clay at neutral pH seems to suit it well. It is a British Native and is found very widely if sporadically in woods over much of Continental Europe and N.America. Only 20cm high and a slow but natural spreader. Deciduous.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Adiantum aleuticum 'Imbricatum'. Hardy Maidenhair Fern. A delicate little gem with fine fronds branched like the fingers of a splayed hand making a rich lacy tapestry on wiry black stems. 30-40cm. Best in a moist soil in partial shade. Fully deciduous. Plant where there is adequate air flow to prevent humid condition. Delicate in appearance, but bone hardy, coming from the far north west of American across to Japan. Like subsp. aleuticum, but shorter and more upright.Links
Ferns - Garden Pictures
Ferns for Moist Sites
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This is a selection of the North American form of our native Lady Fern which has stipes (frond stems) that are picked out in a rich ruby red. The full colouration is not apparent on young plants, but increases after plants have passed through their first frosty winter and then intensifies with age. Good nutrition will also intensify the colour. Overall the fronds are delicate in texture and posses that lovely 'ferny smell' when brushed. Needs constant access to moisture to grow at its best, achieving 90cm in height. Discovered in Vermont by John Lynch of the New England Wildflower Society.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overMore About Ferns
The Fern Order (Taxonomical List)
Botanical Style Photographs of Ferns
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This is the cruciate form of our native Lady fern. The leaves retain the lovely delicate nature of the species, but are distinguished in that alternate pinnae along the frond point either up or down from the plane of the leaf so that, were you to look down the length you could see a cross pattern. Often referred to as The Queen of the Ferns, it was a much treasured Victorian find. The tip of each pinna is also slightly crested which accentuates the overall frond outline. As with the native form, this is best in light shade with access to moisture at all times. grows to 90cm maybe a little more.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overMore About Ferns
The Fern Order (Taxonomical List)
Botanical Style Photographs of Ferns
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Potsize - 1L
This is the plain native form of Lady Fern, a plant that can be found throughout Britain growing in damp shady sites, but avoiding calcareous soils. It is an extremely hardy species and one that is quite variable from bipinnate to tripinnate sometimes. Whichever, it has a finer appearance than the Male fern and to my nose it is one of the 'ferniest smelling' of the ferns. It is fairly soon cut down with the onset of the frosts and is fully deciduous. Whilst a moist atmosphere is always an advantage and that coupled with a moist site will allow this fern to show of its best, once established they will actually tolerate quite dry sites, though with a cost on performance and leaf quality in dry spells.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overMore About Ferns
The Fern Order (Taxonomical List)
Botanical Style Photographs of Ferns
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Potsize - 1L
The Divisilobum group represent the forms of Soft Shield Ferns where the frond segments are reduced to their narrowest, producing a very fine lacy frond. All along the midrib of each frond can be found little bulbils - new ferns in the making. This is a feature found largely, but not exclusively in this group. A dense crown produces a spiral of soft pale green fronds the segments of each of which is congested and overlapping creating an effect is like a feather. The newly emergant fronds, reddy-brown with a dense covering of translucent scales, are an absolute delight - well worth the effort of trimming away the old foliage. Easily grown and adaptable and one of the lovliest ferns. Tolerates quite dry soils. 100cmDiscount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Sensitive Fern. I really like this fern. Its quite different in that the fronds are quite simple with broad wavy edged pinnules. It is always a pale yellowy green, often with a red edge. The fronds stand upright from the ground coming from a creeping, running rhizome. It has an absolute requirement fro a moist to wet soil. Very hardy and fully deciduous. The fertile fronds are both persistent and very different from the main fronds. 45cmMore About Ferns
The Fern Order (Taxonomical List)
Botanical Style Photographs of Ferns
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Potsize - 1L
This is our splendid native Royal Fern. Whilst the frond are a little simpler than many ferns, being just bi-pinnate, their scale makes this a very fine site. A well grown specimen can easily, if slowly, reach 1.5m in height for which it really needs a position next to water. It has a desire for a wet position, but will tolerate an ordinary site, though with consequent lack of stature. Sometime this fern is called the flowering fern, a name it gets from the fact that the fertile fronds are quite different from normal, being reduced and held erect in the middle of the crown. Said to be intolerant of lime, but this is not always borne out. The fronds can take on lovely autumn tints. DeciduousMore About Ferns
The Fern Order (Taxonomical List)
Botanical Style Photographs of Ferns
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Potsize - 1L
Once a rarity, this large impressive fern from North America is now much more commonly seen. It comes form the Western Coastal region of North America, from British Columbia right down to California. The relatively narrow fronds are held mostly erect and will reach about a metre in length. In the wild they can reach 2m (even reports of 3m) but in our climate 1m is more realistic. To get the very best, Woodwardia fimbriata would prefer a moist soil, moist atmosphere with warm Summers and mild Winters. Give it time as well as it is slow to settle and increase, but the wait and patience will be worth it as it is a most impressive fern. Cold tolerance should go down to about -10C. Unlike some Woodwardia the new growth of this species is green and it also lacks the bulbils that some species carry. -
Potsize - 1L
This form of Polypody is quite close in appearance to P.cambricum but is larger with broader fronds up to 40cm in size. It is slow to increase but will form reliable adaptable ground cover in time. Evergreen, producing the new fronds in late Summer which persist through to Spring. Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Ferns for Moist Sites
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Ferns - Deciduous or Evergreen
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Makino's Holly Fern. A lovely evergreen, modestly sized fern with a real tidy beauty to it. The fronds are a rich deep green with a nice shine. for a humus rich soil. 45-75cm tall. I think of this as the mid sized member of 3 similar ferns (P.tsus-sumense, P.makinoi and P.rigens)Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
Ferns - Garden Pictures
Ferns for Moist Sites
Ferns for Dry Sites
Ferns - Deciduous or Evergreen
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This lovely new variety was discovered by Bob Hollister in Dorset close to the Jurassic Coast and introduced in 2018 (Best New plant Chelsea 2019). Dryopteris wallichiana is already a fine specimen fern, but in this variety the distinctive black-scaled croziers unfurl to new fronds with amazing golden shading. Fronds mature to a gold and light green mix. Semi-Evergreen in a sheltered spot. 60-75cm, 50cm spread.Links
Ferns - Garden Pictures
Ferns for Moist Sites
Ferns for Dry Sites
Ferns - Deciduous or Evergreen
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The deep glossy forest green fronds of this fern with its broadly pinnate pseudo-holly foliage makes a wonderful focal point amongst its lacy cousins or a fine evergreen for shade in its own right. It grows to 75cm (30") and can look handsome all year, especially if protected from bitter winds. Good even in deep shade given woodsy friable soil. It will burn if grown in full sun. native of Asia (Korea, China, Vietnam and Thailand and especially Japan where it makes its home in a wide range of environments from urban walls to forest floors.Discount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overLinks
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Ferns for Moist Sites
Ferns for Dry Sites
Ferns - Deciduous or Evergreen
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Potsize - 1L
Japanese Painted Fern. One of the many fine cultivars of this already lovely fern. Each frond begins the season green, ageing with a metallic silvery sheen which is further enhanced by rosy red etching and shading . Fronds are broad and grow fairly horizontally such that a plant will give good ground coverage when in leaf. A lovely fern worthy of a little care and a moist shady spot where it will prove most hardy. 45cm. DeciduousDiscount of 25p per plant for quantities of 3 or overMore About Ferns
The Fern Order (Taxonomical List)
Botanical Style Photographs of Ferns