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Dryopteris affinis 'Cristata' AGM

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Characteristics

Plant type

Fern

Habit

Bushy

Origin

Native to the UK

Resilience

Hardiness

old H4 (hardy)

Colour

Foliage

Green in Autumn, Summer and Winter
Green and Yellow in Spring

Size

Ultimate height

1-1.5 metres

Ultimate spread

1-1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5-10 years

Preferred common name

scaly male fern 'Cristata'

Family

Dryopteridaceae

Dryopteris can be deciduous, semi-evergreen or evergreen ferns, with stout, erect or decumbent rhizomes and shuttlecock-like rosettes of lance-shaped to ovate, pinnately divided fronds

'Cristata' is a robust, nearly evergreen fern to 1.2m tall, with rosettes of erect to arching bipinnate fronds, handsomely crested at the tips of the fronds and pinnae

Suppliers

Suppliers listed in RHS Plant Finder

Awards

Award of Garden Merit

How to grow

Sunlight

Full sun
Part shade
Full shade

Aspect

South-facing, North-facing, West-facing or East-facing

Exposed or Sheltered

Cultivation

Easy to grow in most cool, moist, lightly shaded sites and will grow in full sun if given plenty of moisture. Tolerant of dry shade but water regularly in their first season and mulch well

Soil

Moist but well-drained

Acid, Alkaline or Neutral

Sand, Clay, Chalk or Loam

Propagation

Propagate by sowing spores as soon as ripe or by division in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City/Courtyard Gardens, Cottage/Informal Garden, Flower borders and beds or Underplanting of Roses and Shrubs

How to care

Pruning

Dead or damaged fronds may be removed as necessary

Pests

Generally pest free outdoors

Diseases

Generally disease free outdoors

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