Dryopteris affinis
- In stock, ready to ship
Dryopteris affinis: His Majesty of Crested Fronds
Golden-scaled stems, crested tips on every leaflet and the posture of somebody who has never once been asked to wait in line. This fern doesn't enter the shade garden. IT HOLDS COURT IN IT.
Plant Characteristics:
- Botanical Name: Dryopteris affinis
- Common Name: Golden-scaled Male Fern
- Height: 60–120 cm (2–4 ft)
- Spread: 75–90 cm (2.5–3 ft)
- Flowers: None. It's a fern.
- Foliage: Arching, deep green fronds with crested leaflet tips and golden-scaled stems. New fronds open lighter green. Semi-evergreen where winters are mild, dying back in colder areas.
- Features: Rabbit resistant, bold texture
Where to Plant: Give it room to be the focal point of a shade bed, a woodland garden or a large container, where the crested fronds read as texture from across the yard. Under a canopy of trees it gives the bed the shape of a fountain.
Companion Plants: Helleborus HGC® Ice N' Roses® Dark Picotee blooms from March to May, giving colour at the base of the fern before its fronds fully unfurl. Astilbe 'Cappuccino' adds white plumes at 60 to 75 cm in June and July, a soft contrast to the crested fronds. In late summer, Tricyrtis 'Autumn Glow' carries purple flowers in August and September. All three are happy in shade or part sun, giving the fern a partner in every season.
Plant Care: Plant in part to full shade, in moist, humus-rich soil that drains well. Mix in compost or leaf mould at planting time. Keep it evenly moist, especially in its first summer and during heat; it's not a dry-shade fern. In spring, before the new fronds unroll, cut back any old fronds that are brown or flattened by snow. A mulch of shredded leaves keeps the roots cool and moist. It forms a crown rather than spreading and seldom needs dividing.
History: Dryopteris affinis is native to the damp woodlands of Europe, southwest Asia and North Africa, and its common name comes from the dense golden-brown scales on the frond stalks. Crested forms like this one have been grown since Victorian times, when collecting unusual ferns was a full-blown hobby in Britain.
Final Thoughts: Give it a shady throne and let the hostas bow. LONG LIVE THE KING, AND HIS VERY FANCY HAIR.
