Garden Designers & Landscape Gardeners
Garden Buildings in South & East England

Dryopteris wallichiana

This is one of the larger ferns we can grow in the UK reaching about 1m tall in good conditions. The stock available in nurseries varies alot in the colour of the scales (looking like hairs) on the leaf stems, which can be either a rusty brown colour or almost black. The darker the hairs the greater contrast with the rich green leaf colour and the more striking the plant appears. Although many sources will quote this fern as being evergreen the leaves usually collapse and lay on the ground during winter, like most ferns that are shuttlecock shaped, so they are technically are evergreen but only occasionally in a sheltered spot will the plant keep its upright leaves.

Whilst it will adapt fairly well to dry conditions it will reach its full potential in shade with moist, humus rich soil, with regualar water and feeding we think that this plant could get even taller than 1m. It was discovered in Bhutan by Wallich the dutch plant collector, (whose name is to be found in many latin plant names) and was a particular favourite in victorian gardens. We like to use this fern en masse where it can create an impressive woodland/jungle understory. 

Growing In A Woodland Garden.