Polystichum setiferum 'Herrenhausen' (Soft Shield Fern) – Evergreen Fern (2L Pot)

A soft shield fern with low, spreading rosettes of finely cut fronds that stay green all year.

'Herrenhausen' is one of the softer, more horizontal forms of the soft shield fern, so it lies out across the ground rather than standing up in a shuttlecock. That habit makes it good along a path edge, under shrubs or spilling over the lip of a large 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.

Give it partial to full shade and soil that drains freely; the shield ferns dislike sitting wet through winter. Tidy old fronds away as needed.

Cultural Information

• Common Name: Soft shield 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: Low, spreading rosettes of finely cut fronds
• Perfect For: Shaded borders, understorey planting, containers, courtyards, stonework edges and woodland gardens
• Foliage: Soft, finely divided green fronds, held all year
• Flowering Time: None. Ferns carry no flowers and spread by spores.
• Planting Position: Partial shade to full shade, sheltered from wind. Grows well in a container.
• Soil Type: Humus rich soil that drains freely. It resents sitting wet through winter.
• 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