Male fern

Sun

Partial to full shade; tolerates some sun where soil stays moist and summers are cool.

Water

Keep evenly moist while establishing. Established plants tolerate short dry spells, but prolonged drought can brown the fronds.

Soil

Humus-rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil; tolerates clay and a wide range of soil pH.

Height

2-4 ft (0.6-1.2 m)

Spread

2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m)

Foliage

Large, mid- to dark-green, divided fronds with scaly stalks. Rounded spore clusters develop beneath mature fronds. Usually deciduous, though some fronds may persist through mild winters.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Deer resistant
• Cold hardy
• Wildlife

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

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

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

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

3. After 2 years

   2.3 ft (0.7 m)

4. After 3 years

   3 ft (0.9 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

Toxic

Native to

the US, Canada and the UK

Invasive in

Australia

Growth rate

Moderate

• Plant with the crown at soil level, not buried.
• Water regularly during the first growing season and during prolonged dry weather.
• Mulch annually with leaf mould or compost, keeping the crown uncovered.
• Avoid routine fertiliser; an annual compost mulch is usually enough.
• Divide crowded clumps in spring, retaining several growing points on each division.

Pruning. In late winter or early spring, cut dead and battered fronds close to the crown before new growth unfurls. Avoid cutting emerging curled fronds.

Late winter

Remove dead fronds before new growth starts.

Spring

Plant or divide clumps and water them in thoroughly.

Spring

Apply leaf mould or compost around the clump without covering the crown.

Summer

Check soil during dry spells and water deeply if it is drying out.

Autumn

Leave healthy fronds standing and allow fallen leaves to form a loose mulch around the plant.

• Repeat clumps beneath deciduous trees to give a woodland border a consistent leafy structure.
• Pair with hostas and large-leaved brunneras for contrasting foliage shapes.
• Use beside shaded paths or steps, allowing room for the arching fronds.
• Plant behind spring bulbs to fill the space as their leaves die back.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, English country, Low-maintenance, Green on green, Secret garden and Pacific Northwest woodland.

Plant it with: Hosta, Siberian bugloss, Solomon's seal, Hellebore, Snowdrop and Epimedium.

Wildlife: The fronds and accumulated leaf litter provide shelter for small invertebrates. It has no flowers and supplies no nectar or pollen.

• Brown, scorched fronds: protect from strong afternoon sun and drying winds, and water during prolonged drought.
• Crown rot in waterlogged soil: improve drainage and keep soil and mulch away from the crown.
• Slugs and snails damaging emerging fronds: inspect new growth and remove pests by hand; use labelled iron-phosphate bait if needed.

Treat as poisonous to people, cats, dogs and horses if eaten. The rhizome is particularly toxic, and other parts should not be eaten either; poisoning can be serious. Do not eat the fiddleheads or use the plant as a home remedy.

Where it spreads. Naturalised and locally invasive in damp forests in Victoria, Australia, where spores can establish beyond gardens. Check local weed guidance before planting near bushland.

• Lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina)

  Usually has finer, more delicate foliage. Its spore clusters are elongated or curved rather than the rounded clusters of male fern.

• Scaly male fern (Dryopteris affinis)

  Usually has denser golden-brown scales and more persistent, leathery fronds. Look for a dark patch where each main leaflet joins the central frond stalk.

Filix-mas means 'male fern' in Latin, reflecting an old comparison of its robust fronds with the more delicate lady fern, not a difference in the plants' sex.

Propagation. Divide established clumps in spring as growth begins. It can also be raised from spores sown on a clean, moist growing medium, but this is slow and requires careful humidity control.

Accepted botanical name

Dryopteris filix-mas

In the US and Canada

Native in Canada, Greenland, the lower 48 states and St. Pierre and Miquelon.

Native range

Afghanistan, Albania, Alberta, Algeria, Altay, Arizona, Austria, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium and British Columbia.

Measured

Soil pH 5.5 to 6.5. Average height 75 cm.

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