Cyrtomium fortunei (Holly Fern) – Evergreen Fern (2L Pot)

An evergreen holly fern with glossy, leathery fronds that hold their colour through the whole year.

Fortune's holly fern is one of the toughest evergreens for shade, forming a neat arching clump of dark green fronds cut into holly shaped leaflets. It gives a shaded border structure in winter as well as summer, and it is equally at home in a courtyard container.

Each plant is supplied as a fresh, well established 2L root ball, grown in peat free compost. They are larger and more mature than plugs, so they arrive fully rooted and ready to go straight into the ground or a pot.

Plant it in partial to full shade in soil that holds moisture, keep it out of the wind, and take the old fronds off in spring.

Cultural Information

• Common Name: Holly fern, Fortune's holly fern
• Fully Grown Height and Spread: Our source gives a range for these hardy ferns rather than a figure for this one: 20cm to 1.2m tall and 20cm to 90cm wide, depending on the fern.
• Growth Habit: Clump forming, with arching fronds
• Perfect For: Shaded borders, understorey planting, containers, courtyards, stonework edges and woodland gardens
• Foliage: Glossy, leathery, dark green fronds with holly like leaflets, held all year
• Flowering Time: None. Ferns carry no flowers and spread by spores.
• Planting Position: Partial shade to full shade, sheltered from wind in soil that stays moist. Grows well in a container.
• Soil Type: Moist, humus rich soil that drains freely.
• Hardiness: Fully hardy. It comes through a British winter outdoors without protection.
• Maintenance: Very low. Tidy old fronds away as needed.
• Seasonal Interest: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
• Type: Hardy evergreen fern