Deer Fern

Striking and different, the Deer Fern is a great solution for those deeply shaded places in your garden. A native fern, often found in the north-west, it forms a rosette of slender, ladder-like fronds rising close to 2 feet tall. Smooth, leathery, slightly glossy and bright green, these slowly spread into a clump up to 3 feet wide, turning ‘dark and dead’ into a graceful picture of beauty. As the season proceeds, these fronds open out, becoming more horizontal, while taller, even more slender fronds grow up, carrying the spores that ferns use to spread. While those ‘fertile’ fronds die in fall, the others remain evergreen, with new fronds in spring rising up like springs uncoiling, on striking deep red stems. A perfect choice for deeper shade, and capable of growing in wet soil too, add it to your collection of ferns – you can’t have too many of these graceful plants – in any style of garden. It’s also useful for the shady side of your house, in woodland areas, by water, and in a pot as well, if your garden is too dry for it to thrive.

• Narrow, ladder-like fronds rise to around 2 feet tall
• New spring fronds have striking red stalks
• Very narrow, spore-bearing fronds rise up in summer
• Evergreen even in zone 5
• Enjoys deep shade, wet soils and acidic conditions

Hardy in zone 5, the Deer Fern thrives in areas with cooler, damp summers, but with sufficient water can be grown almost anywhere. It grows with some morning sun, and also in deeper, full shade, making it especially useful for those difficult spots. Plant in moist to wet soils, rich in compost or rotted leaves. This fern loves acidic soils, and will grow in neutral ones too, but not well in alkaline soils. In pots use soil for acid-loving plants. It isn’t eaten by rabbits, usually left by deer, and has no pests or diseases. Once planted it needs little care, but the dead fertile fronds can be removed in fall, and older fronds at any time, as they brown and die or become unsightly.