Dryopteris 'Cristata'

There’s nothing more lush and lovely than ferns for a shady spot, and with this evergreen Dryopteris 'Cristata', you don’t have to miss its gorgeous greenery in winter. You can enjoy the beautiful, soft, textured fronds all year round! You can of course cut them back in early spring if you wish to watch the new fronds uncurl, or simply leave it to its own devices and only remove leaves if any of them start to look untidy. Also known as the scaly male fern, Dryopteris affinis 'Cristata' is the ultimate low-maintenance gem to fill the quiet, shaded corners of the garden with colour and instil tranquility. Interestingly, the tips of its leaflets branch out into an intriguing crest. This fully hardy perennial provides fabulous leafy interest and good structure with its long, arching leaves, most of which stay evergreen, making this an excellent year-round choice. This European native woodland species has been awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit for its superb qualities as a garden plant.  

Tough, trouble-free and adaptable, you can grow Dryopteris 'Cristata' in deep shade, partial shade and even in sun if the ground stays relatively moist. Once it’s well established, it can tolerate those very tricky areas of dry shade too, making this one of the best plants for difficult situations. Dryopteris 'Cristata' is fully hardy, and rarely troubled by any pests or diseases, so it’s a superb low-maintenance option too. The fronds will often grow quite tall, up to 1.2 metres, and they relax slightly as the season goes on. Scaly male ferns look great combined with other ferns for a textures, leaft display, you can also pair them with other shade-tolerant plants like Thalictrum and Astilbe to add a bit of colour.