Dryopteris filix-mas
Male fern
Common names: Common male fern
At a glance
- Light
- Shade
- Pot size
- from 15 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Hardy
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: Johann Jaritz · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
Description
The wood fern (Dryopteris filix‑mas) is one of the hardiest native ferns for shady garden corners. From a short, thick rhizome it produces funnel‑shaped, large, pinnate fronds that provide fresh green from May through autumn. It roots deeply and tolerates drier periods well in the shade of trees and hedges. The plant is toxic, especially the rhizome, and all parts can cause poisoning in humans and animals. Handle with care around children and pets, and do not consume any part of the plant.
Care instructions
Plant the wood fern in humus‑rich, evenly moist soil in semi‑shade to shade. Best time is spring weeks 12 to 16 or autumn weeks 38 to 42. A mulch layer of leaf or bark compost retains moisture and supplies nutrients for the next season. Water regularly during the growing period; later, water only during prolonged dry spells. In early spring, before new shoots appear, trim any dry fronds close to the ground. The plant is winter hardy and requires no additional frost protection.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
moist, humus-rich, well-drained, lime-avoiding
The male fern loves a humus-rich, permanently moist to wet soil with good structure. It won't tolerate waterlogging; a spot with loose, free-draining soil under trees suits it best. It prefers low-lime to slightly acidic soils, as found in open woodland and on shady slopes.
Feeding
Light feeder
As a native woodland plant, the male fern manages with the nutrients that a good humus layer supplies by itself. A yearly mulch layer of leaves or compost in autumn is quite enough as a nutrient source. You don't need extra feeding; it would rather disturb the natural habit.
Overwintering
The male fern is fully hardy in Central Europe and needs no special protection. The fronds die back in autumn and can stay lying as a natural mulch layer over the rootstock. Only in early spring, shortly before the new fronds uncurl, do you cut the old brown fronds off close to the ground.
Propagation
Methods
- Division
- From seed
The most reliable way is to divide the male fern in spring, just as the new fronds are unfurling. Carefully dig up the rootstock and separate it with a sharp spade into several pieces, each with its own buds. Replant the pieces straight away in a humus-rich, shady spot and keep them evenly moist in the first weeks. Propagation by spores is possible, but takes a lot of patience and often several years until the first visible plant.
For your garden
Grow Male fern yourself
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