IN THIS guidebook
fern are fantastic plant that can receive a billet as worthful additions in many British garden .
Ferns are vascular plants that reproduce via spores – they have no cum or blossom .
Botanically fascinating , fern first look in the fossil criminal record around 360 million years ago.111 . Plant Evolution II : Ferns . ( n.d . ) . SUNY Cortland . Retrieved March 27 , 2023 , fromhttps://cortland.edu/waldbauer-trail/11-plant%20evolution-II.html
Many of the current family unit in this group of plants emerged around 145 million age ago.2Jurassic Period . ( 2021 , May 3 ) . National Geographic . Retrieved March 27 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/jurassic
“ Ferns give me great delight and are belike my preferred works in the garden at the moment . ”
Create a fernery or just add a fern or two in a suitable spot…
“ fern amount in all anatomy and sizes and furnish a really tropical flavour to your garden , ” says Kylie Stocks , Horticulturist at Verdigris Ferns .
Great For Shade
One of the thing that make them so valuable as a garden flora for UK growers is that they are amongst the best plant for tint .
Shade in a garden can sometimes be a challenge – whether it is a north - facing bed , or an area beneath matured trees .
Ferns can often be fabulous plant to choose for such location – earmark you to make the most of more slippery garden areas .
Cyathea brownii
“ I make love the calm atmosphere that ferns create , ” says Master Horticulturist Colin Skelly .
“ They are great for dampish , fly-by-night areas but there are also metal money for dry tad . Let the weather order your selection . Consider also variations in tallness and what other shadowiness lover you could use alongside . ”
When choose ferns for a shady site , there are different type of shade , but there are fern suit to all those dissimilar character .
Blechnum brasiliense
Ferns can be obtain which can deal with a wide range of different conditions and environmental factors .
Expert Chosen Varieties
We expect three of our expert fern grower to partake their preferred varieties with us .
“ I have it off growing ferns as they are such a diverse group of works , ” says Mark Taylor , owner of the prize - win flora greenhouse Alchemy Ferns .
“ They can be either evergreen or deciduous and can range from ground cover to extend 6 - 7 foot in height . There are also those that can cope with drier conditions and some that can be in the sun .
Polystichum setiferum
“ As well as the more normally screw ferns that favor moist or wet weather condition , some ferns are also as felicitous in a container . Then , there are the tree diagram ferns , that add that extra bit of height and glamor to a garden .
“ My favourite type of fern would be a tree diagram fern as they are tall , refined , architectural , centre - take hold of plant that make a tangible statement in the garden .
“ All in all , there is a fern for every aspect . ”
Another lover of the tree diagram fern , Kylie Stocks is a Horticulturist at a specialist plant glasshouse , Verdigris Ferns , base in Australia .
“ I love the rainforest and the power to replicate this environment in our own garden is very comforting and provides a serene act upon surroundings , ” says Kylie , when discussing why she make love to grow fern .
“ I am very partial to Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ferns and there are quite a few different change available here in Australia .
“ They are so tall and majestic and ply a beautiful lacy foliage that really shit a statement .
“ I also eff the Blechnum genus due to the vivacious red , pink , and bronze that you often see in new foliage . ”
For Neil Timm , possessor of The Fern Nursery in Lincolnshire , ferns offer something limited compare to other hardy plants .
“ I love the wonderful foliage effects of ferns , ” he say .
“ Their great mutation in shape , size and foliage , and the rich association they have with mountains , woods and wilderness in general , is another reasonableness I love grow them . ”
“ Polystichum setiferumis my favourite fern to grow , ” aver Neil .
“ It has everything you could possibly want in a garden plant . A compact , non - spread drug abuse with a strong bluff shape and very fine foliage .
“ It can also hold up and do well in a full range of soils , situations , and Sunday . It is a aboriginal , and perhaps the most evergreen plant of our larger native fern . ”
So , has that make you in the mood for growing ferns ?
In the rest of this article , we research twenty of the skillful type of ferns to grow in the UK .
Suited For Wet And Boggy Conditions
First of all , let ’s take a look at some of the best ferns for very blind drunk and boggy conditions :
1) Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina)
Lady fern is a naturalizing wetland plant .
It prefers a moist site with pretty high atmospheric humidity .
peculiarly shade - tolerant , these ferns are a vigorous deciduous plant that form lump of lacy , bi - pinnated frond .
They prefer acidulous dirt ( 4.5 – 6.5 pH ) but can bear more alkaline sites when mass of leaf mould is add .
These ferns are common throughout moist , shelter woodland in northern temperate zones .
2) Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)
Ostrich fern prefer a pH between 5 and 6.5 .
They can grapple well in wet situation , even in heavy the Great Compromiser soils .
These plant are liberal of shade and strongly dislike full sun .
They make good primer coat cover when placed at a spacing of around 60 cm .
A highly cosmetic plant , it has feathery frond and prove speedily .
3) Royal Fern (Osmunda regalis)
Royal fern prefers mucky or moist soil , and like the above , prefers acidic grime condition .
Unlike the above , however , royal ferns can also grow in full Dominicus as long as there is no shortage of moisture in the grime .
This is a large fern that forge clod of frond up to 2.5 one thousand in height .
The frond bear rust-brown dark-brown spore - give birth pinnae at the tips , and the foliage turns a pleasing cerise - dark-brown spook in fall .
4) Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis)
Like the above , Sensitive fern is good for coolheaded , moist areas .
It can also work well in boggy internet site or act as a role in pond - side planting schemes .
It is another deciduous fern that hears broad , low-cal green , profoundly lobed , pinnate fronds up to 60 cm in distance .
One matter to observe , however , is that this fern may become invading in smaller garden .
Suited For Damp Shade
All of the ferns above are also worthy for a land site that is not as wet , but is still rather dampish .
In addition to considering the ferns already mentioned above , however , you could also regard many other options .
Here are some more options that are amongst the best ferns for damp nicety :
5) Aleutian Maidenhair Fern (Adiantium aleuticum)
This North American native is a deciduous or semi - evergreen fern with fronds around 50 cm in distance .
The angry walk are black , and adorned with gullible pedate divide frond with oblong segment .
Though hardy , they are sometimes also grown as houseplant .
by nature , they are found in moist soil near stream , often in rock crevices .
6) Golden Shield Fern (Dryopteris affinis)
Characterised by their favourable - green fronds , which grow up to 1.2 m in length , Golden Shield Fern is a great choice for shade or fond tincture .
It is a dauntless and adaptable industrial plant that can prosper in quite a wide range of ground and configurations .
As the flora age , the gold - green colouration grows to a rich green , with gilt scales on the fore .
7) Broad Buckler Fern (Dryopteris dilatata)
Robust and resilient , this is another fern that can thrive in a range of unlike preferences .
It is a semi - evergreen plant that form clumps of tumid or arching fronds that are dreary unripe and strongly serrate .
This fern prefers moist , cool , thinly shaded sites but will spring up in full sun as long as enough wet is usable .
Note : It can also manage with dry shade if watered well until established and mulched well .
8) Male Fern / Basket Fern (Dryopterisfilis-mas)
This is another sturdy deciduous fern .
This one forms clumps of lancet - shaped , bipinnatifid frond that can strive up to 1.2 megabyte in peak .
It is similarly loose and has similar necessity to the panoptic shield fern mentioned above .
9) Evergreen Maidenhair (Adiantum venustum)
Evergreen ( or almost evergreen ) in mild areas , this fern form a mat to a height of around 25 centimeter in tiptop .
So it can be a great choice for creating soil cover version .
Its ovoid fronds are made up of many fan - shaped segments .
Often , these turn an attractive rusty - reddish - chocolate-brown in autumn and winter .
This is another fern that can , with the ripe approach , also be grown as a houseplant .
10) Hart’s Tongue Fern (Asplenium scolopendrium)
This evergreen fern forms a rosette of 30 - 75 centimeter arc frond in a deep , rich honey oil .
Spores are conduct in transverse stripe below the fronds .
This option will tend to grow well in any humus - fat , moist but well - run out soil .
It can also be slightly patient of to dry out refinement but only when irrigate well until institution and mulch well .
11) Common Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes)
This summary , low lie fern can be planted within a rock garden or dry wall .
It has pinnate , finespun fronds and blackish stems .
It will do best where there is a humous - rich dirt and batch of moisture , and choose alkaline or neutral conditions .
invalidate planting it where it will be exposed to bright mid - 24-hour interval sun .
12) Soft Shield Fern (Polystichum setiferum)
This is a tufted evergreen plant fern that grows rosette of gig - shaped green frond with prominent out of practice brown scurf .
It can reach around 1.2 chiliad in height .
It likes a moist and hommos - rich soil , but crowns should be protect from excessive moisture in wintertime .
13) Tree Fern (Dickinsonia antarctica)
If you are look for a fern that will have a bigger and more dramatic impact , you may like to consider a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree fern .
Dickinsonia antarcticais the most coarse tree fern .
These are perennial evergreen , with stout brown trunk clothed in fibrous roots , with a large fan of pinnate fronds at the top .
These maturate tardily to an eventual summit of up to 4 m.
They are evergreen , but may be deciduous in colder climate zones .
They like a moist but well - drained fertile filth , deep in organic matter , but the crown should be protect from excessive water in winter .
wintertime protection will be required in all but the modest of orbit .
14) Golden Tree Fern (Dicksonia fibrosa)
This is another tree fern that could be regard for some UK gardens .
It can grow up to 6 m tall , with a chocolate-brown bole - similar rootstalk and a fan of attractive fronds at the top .
Again , these can be grown outdoors without winter auspices only in the mild realm .
15) Table Mountain Fern (Blechnum tabulare)
While not a true tree fern , this option will finally modernize a automobile trunk .
This is another choice that can be used to give a dramatic and tropic look in a shadowed and damp but free - drained orbit of your garden .
Suited For Dry Shade
Finally , let ’s take a looking at some more fern that are amongst the best fern for dry specter in the UK .
All of the Dryopteris species mentioned above can also cope with dry spook as well as dampish shade .
And here are some more options to consider :
16) Eared Lady Fern (Athyrium otophorum‘Okanum’)
This fern is native to East Asia .
It forms rosettes of arching , broadly ovate , bipinnate fronds that set forth out pallid light-green in give then sprain grey - park later .
Stalks and the main nervure have a violet hue .
It can grow good in moist condition but can tolerate a much drier spot in full or mottled nuance .
17) Hard Fern (Blechnum spicant)
This neat and tufted evergreen plant fern is another that can make out in ironic shade , though it also likes moist shaded sites .
It forms spread out tufts of narrow , dark immature fronds with one-dimensional pinnule .
This fern prefers acidic or neutral soil .
18) Common Polypody Fern (Polypodium vulgare)
While usually found in moist fly-by-night stain , it can also survive quite well in comparatively dry status .
It can be great for shade below or on walls , or beneath trees .
It has leathered , ladder - like fronds with knobbly patch on the underside that are the spore .
19) Crested Golden Shield Fern (Dryopteris affinis‘Cristata’)
Like the other Dryopteris on this list , this fern can cope with a range of different conditions .
This particular cultivar is one that can be choose for ironical spook .
It has attractive fronds that open golden - green and turn deeper greenish as they mature .
20) Autumn Fern (Dryopteris erythrosora)
Another adaptable , relatively low - upkeep fern , this choice is prized for its brilliant hue .
New frond in spring have a striking ruby - orangeness people of colour .
And these contrast beautifully with dark dark-green fledged frond .
These disappearance to green as the season progresses , then pull attention in fall with lustrous cerise stores on their undersurface .
Seemore ferns for dry shade in this scout .
This list is by no mean value exhaustive and there are many dissimilar fern to discover , but the twenty option above are surely amongst the best to grow in the UK .
Advice For Choosing Ferns
The most important affair to weigh when choosing fern for your garden are the environmental conditions .
You may be tempt to select fern with reference first to the coming into court of their foliage , and how they will look in your garden scheme .
But first and firstly , it is authoritative to ensure that you refer to the site itself , and choose the correct plant for the right place .
Typically , ferns in general are considered to be specializer in marginal habitats .
This mean that they can provide solutions to a number of planting trouble or conundrums in your garden .
Uses In Forest Gardening
Another interesting affair to view is the role ferns can play in a forest or woodland garden .
If you are not familiar with the conception of wood gardening , this is an ecologically sensible and sustainable path to grow solid food and other resource .
A woods garden is a garden that mimics a raw forest , but supervene upon distinctive plants with species that are of benefit to those who tend it , and to the system as a whole .
wood gardens include a wide scope of trees , bush , herbaceous perennial , roots , ground cover plants and climbers .
fern can be useful as part of an overall planting scheme .
