Hardy, herbaceous, fern with light green fronds on striking bright red stems. Best grown in light shade and moister, organic-matter rich soils, perhaps along with hardy cyclamen and other woodland specialists. Will tolerate full sun on moister soils. Fully hardy. H: 60-90cm
Deciduous fern with lacy, finely-divided,light green fronds which form a dense shuttlecock-like clump. Grows wild in cool, moist conditions throughout the northern hemisphere, although it can tolerant quite dry conditions as well. The variety 'Victoriae' is noted for very finely divided leaflets, and was very popular during the Victorian 'fern-craze'. H: up to 1m
Deciduous and fully hardy fern. Beautiful silvery-grey to mid-green leaves. Spreads by rhizomes and prefers a sheltered and lightly shaded spot. AGM. Hieght: 20-30cm
Medium size hardy fern, noted for the unusual spreading of the frond tips, forming in time 'fingers'. Best in cool and moist conditions, but in common with other Dryopteris quite dry conditions will be tolerated. H: 75cm
Large, fully hardy fern with stiffly upright fronds that will in time produce the classic 'shuttlecock' shape. Fronds up to 1.2m in length. Prefers partial shade and a moist or heavily mulched soil, where it will start to spread and in time form a substantial colony.
The Sensitive Fern. A coarse fern suited to moist conditions where it will tolerate full sun; shade preferred in drier soils. Fully hardy, but leave old foliage in place to give winter protection. H: about 90cm
Large deciduous fern with fronds up to 2m in length. Fully hardy. Prefers moist soil and dappled shade, and can be grown in shallow water, or in a pot that is standing in a tray of water. Awarded the RHS AGM as an outstanding garden plant.
A very pretty evergreen fern, with congested spiralling fronds. Remains compact and prefers moist shade. Would make a very good choice for a pot grown plant if there is nowhere suitable in the garden Fully hardy. H: 30cm.
Fully hardy fern native to North America and an easily grown and handsome plant. Prefers moist and light;ly shaded conditions where the finely segmented and sharply toothed fronds may reach a height of up to 1.5m, making a spectacular talking point in the garden. More or less evergreen, especially where grown in a sheltered spot.
