Cretan brake fern

Sun

Partial to full shade outdoors; bright, indirect light indoors. Protect from strong afternoon sun.

Water

Keep evenly moist but not waterlogged. Water less in winter, without letting the root ball dry out completely.

Soil

Humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil with good drainage. Tolerates neutral to alkaline conditions, including sheltered limestone crevices.

Height

1-2.5 ft (0.3-0.75 m)

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Foliage

Evergreen. Green fronds divided into a few pairs of long, strap-shaped leaflets. Fertile fronds are taller and narrower, with spore-producing bands along the leaflet edges; some cultivated forms have cream or white central stripes.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Medium

• Deer resistant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Needs looking after

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.2 ft (0.37 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.5 ft (0.45 m)

4. After 3 years

   1.7 ft (0.53 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water when the soil surface begins to dry; empty standing water from pot saucers.
• Apply a thin layer of leaf mould around outdoor plants in spring, keeping it away from the crown.
• Feed container plants monthly in spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertiliser at half strength.
• Keep indoor plants away from radiators, drying draughts and direct midday sun.
• Bring containers into a bright, frost-free place before cold weather arrives.

Pruning. Remove dead or badly damaged fronds at their base in spring, or whenever they become unsightly. Leave healthy green fronds intact.

Early spring

Remove dead fronds and check whether container plants need repotting.

Spring

Divide crowded clumps as new growth begins, and top-dress outdoor plants with leaf mould.

Late spring

Move overwintered pots outdoors only after frost risk has passed, gradually acclimatising them in shade.

Summer

Check moisture frequently and feed container plants monthly.

Autumn

Bring pots under cover before frost and inspect the undersides of fronds for pests.

Winter

Keep sheltered plants lightly moist and stop feeding while growth is slow.

• Plant beneath shrubs in frost-free gardens, where its narrow leaflets contrast with broad evergreen leaves.
• Use in shaded courtyard containers with a simple, dark backdrop to show the frond shape.
• Combine with hostas and other ferns for layered foliage in a moist, sheltered border.
• Tuck into shaded rockwork or well-drained wall crevices in mild climates.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Modern courtyard, Japanese, Tropical, Green on green and Small-space.

Plant it with: Hostas, Cast-iron plant, Mondo grass, Japanese aralia and Bird's nest fern.

Wildlife: Provides small-scale shelter for invertebrates but produces no flowers, nectar or fruit.

• Brown, crisp leaflet edges usually indicate dry compost, hot sun or drying indoor air; restore even moisture and move to a cooler, sheltered position.
• Yellowing fronds and a soft crown can follow waterlogging; improve drainage, empty saucers and remove rotten material.
• Scale insects or mealybugs may infest sheltered plants; isolate affected pots, wipe off small infestations and use a labelled treatment if needed.
• Spider mites can cause pale, stippled foliage in warm, dry rooms; rinse fronds thoroughly, improve growing conditions and use a suitable labelled treatment if they persist.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. No part is recognised as poisonous, but it is an ornamental fern, not a food plant; eating foliage may still cause stomach upset.

Where it spreads. Can escape cultivation by wind-blown spores and is naturalised in places including Florida, Hawaii and parts of Australia. Naturalisation does not necessarily mean aggressive spread; check local weed guidance before planting near moist native habitats.

• Chinese brake fern (Pteris vittata)

  Usually has many more pairs of narrow leaflets along a long frond; Cretan brake generally has fewer, broader leaflets, with the lowest pair often forked.

• Spider brake fern (Pteris multifida)

  Has finer, narrower frond divisions and conspicuous leafy wings along much of the central frond stalk.

Pteris comes from the Greek word for a fern, related to a word meaning wing or feather, while cretica means 'of Crete'.

Propagation. Divide established clumps in spring, keeping roots and several healthy growing points on each division. It can also be raised from spores sown on a moist, clean growing medium under cover; this is slower, and seedlings may not retain a named form's foliage pattern.

Accepted botanical name

Pteris cretica

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Hawaii and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Ascension, Assam, Bangladesh, Burundi, Cambodia, Canary Is., Cape Provinces, China North-Central and China South-Central.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.