Wallich's wood fern

Sun

Partial shade or dappled shade; tolerates deeper shade. Avoid hot afternoon sun and exposed, drying sites.

Water

Keep the root zone consistently moist but not waterlogged. Established plants tolerate brief dry spells, but prolonged drought damages the fronds.

Soil

Humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil with good drainage; acidic to neutral soil is ideal.

Height

3-5 ft (0.9-1.5 m)

Spread

2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m)

Foliage

Evergreen. Long, finely divided, deep green fronds rise from a stout crown in a shuttlecock shape. Young growth is lighter green, and the stalks and central frond ribs carry conspicuous dark brown to almost black scales.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

Low

• Deer resistant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

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

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

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

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   2 ft (0.6 m)

3. After 2 years

   3 ft (0.9 m)

4. After 3 years

   4 ft (1.2 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

Mildly toxic: may upset a stomach

Growth rate

Moderate

• Water deeply during dry spells, especially through the first growing season.
• Apply leaf mould or well-rotted compost around the plant each spring, keeping the crown uncovered.
• Plant with the crown at soil level; do not bury it beneath soil or mulch.
• Shelter from strong winds, which dry and tear the fronds.
• Avoid heavy feeding; an annual organic mulch is usually sufficient.

Pruning. In late winter or early spring, cut dead and badly damaged fronds close to their bases before new growth unfurls. Leave sound green fronds in place and take care not to cut the emerging croziers.

Late winter

Remove dead or damaged fronds before the new croziers begin to open.

Spring

Plant in sheltered shade and water thoroughly; keep the crown at soil level.

Mid-spring

Spread leaf mould or compost around the roots without covering the crown.

Summer

Check soil moisture during dry weather and water deeply before fronds wilt or scorch.

Autumn

Plant where winters are mild and drainage is good; leave healthy fronds for winter structure.

Winter

Check that water is not collecting around the crown, particularly in heavy soil or containers.

• Use as a bold focal point beneath deciduous trees where the soil stays moist.
• Repeat clumps through a shaded border to give structure among softer groundcovers.
• Pair with hostas and brunnera for contrasting leaf sizes and textures.
• Place beside a sheltered path or courtyard seat where the dark-scaled spring growth can be seen closely.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Japanese, Architectural minimal, Green on green, Secret garden and Pacific Northwest woodland.

Plant it with: Hostas, Brunnera, Epimediums, Hellebores, Japanese forest grass and Snowdrops.

Wildlife: Dense fronds and accumulated leaf litter provide shelter for small invertebrates. As a fern, it produces neither flowers nor nectar.

• Brown, crisp frond edges usually indicate drought, hot sun or drying wind; water deeply and provide afternoon shade and shelter.
• Crown or root rot can develop in saturated soil; improve drainage and keep the crown clear of buried mulch.
• Slugs and snails sometimes damage emerging croziers; inspect new growth and remove pests or use a labelled iron-phosphate bait.
• Winter frost can flatten or blacken fronds; leave the crown undisturbed and remove damaged foliage before spring growth.

Species-specific toxicity information for people, cats, dogs and horses is limited, so it should not be assumed safe to eat. Related Dryopteris species contain toxic compounds, particularly in their rhizomes; treat all parts as potentially harmful if swallowed and do not harvest the young fronds for food.

• Golden-scaled male fern (Dryopteris affinis)

  Usually has conspicuously golden-brown stalk scales rather than the dense, very dark scales characteristic of Wallich's wood fern. Both form upright clumps, so inspect the scales rather than relying on overall shape.

• Male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas)

  Its stalks are generally less densely scaly, with paler brown scales, and its fronds normally die back in winter. Wallich's wood fern has a darker, shaggier crown and often retains its fronds in mild conditions.

The epithet wallichiana honours Nathaniel Wallich, a Danish botanist who worked in India.

Propagation. Raise from spores on a clean, moist growing medium under humid conditions; growth to planting size is slow. Large, established plants with several distinct crowns can sometimes be divided in spring, but avoid splitting a single crown.

Accepted botanical name

Dryopteris wallichiana

In the US and Canada

Native in Hawaii.

Native range

Argentina Northwest, Assam, Bolivia, Borneo, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Colombia, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic.

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