Blechnum spicant
Common Name: Deer fern
Type: Evergreen perennial fern Family: Blechnaceae Hardiness Zone: 5-8 Sunlight: Part to full shade Exposure: Sheltered Soil: Wide range of soil from clay to sand but grows best with high organic content Moisture: Even moisture best but tolerates summer drought Plant Height x Width: 2' x 2' Leaf: Evergreen sterile fronds (to 8-24” long) are stiff, leathery, pinnatifid and dark green, forming a loose outward-spreading, flattened rosette. As the season progresses, sterile fronds may lie horizontally on the ground. Fertile fronds (16-24” long) are located in an erect vertical fountain in the center of the sterile frond rosette. They are similar to the sterile ones but taller, with much thinner and widely separated leaflets. Fertile fronds turn brown and wither by the end of the summer, leaving the evergreen sterile rosette. Flower: None Maintenance: Groom out old fronds in spring, low maintenance plant Landscape use: Woodland gardens, borders of pathways, plant with Hostas or Japanese maples for best effect Pest and Disease: None Native Range: Europe and western North America Planting Instructions: Will spread itself around, naturalize Propagation: Division Deer and Rabbit Tolerance: Deer and rabbit tolerant |