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Dryopteris affinis AGM

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Characteristics

Plant type

Fern

Habit

Tufted

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

0.5-1 metres

Time to ultimate height

5-10 years

Preferred common name

scaly male fern

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

D. affinis is a robust semi-evergreen fern forming a rosette of erect, bipinnatifid fronds to 1.2m in length, bright yellow-green when young, later rich green, with dense, persistent golden scales on the stems

Other common names

golden shield fern

Synonym(s)

Dryopteris pseudomas

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, Neutral or Alkaline

Loam, Chalk, Sand or Clay

Propagation

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

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage/Informal Garden, Flower borders and beds, Low Maintenance, Underplanting of Roses and Shrubs or Wildflower meadow

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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