Beginner
skill rating
Online Garden Tools
Useful videos
Dryopteris cycadina (Shaggy shield fern)
Comment on a listing
Plant supplier links
- Login to upload a photo
1 hour care
per year
per year
0.75m
Max height
Max height
0.6m
Max spread
Max spread
5-10 years
To maturity
To maturity
Plant details
Botanical name
Dryopteris cycadina
Other names
Shaggy shield fern, Black wood fern, Dryopteris atrata, Dryopteris hirtipes
Genus
Dryopteris Dryopteris
Species
D. cycadina - D. cycadina is a clump-forming, semi-evergreen fern with black-scaly stems and erect to arching, bright green fronds with darker green mid-ribs.
Dryopteris cycadina is: Semi evergreen
Habit
Clump-forming
Awards
RHS AGM (Award of Garden Merit)
Foliage
Blue-green, Flushed black in Spring; Bright-green in Summer; Bright-green in Autumn; Bright-green in Winter
How to care
Watch out for
General care
Pruning
Remove dead or damaged fronds when needed.
Propagation methods
Division, Spores
Sign up for your FREE ACCOUNT today or login to receive detailed monthly care instructions
Where to grow
Dryopteris cycadina (Shaggy shield fern) will reach a height of 0.75m and a spread of 0.6m after 5-10 years.
Suggested uses
Cottage/Informal, Beds and borders, Low Maintenance, Underplanting, Wildflower, Foliage only
Cultivation
Plant in moist, humus-rich soil in a partially shaded, sheltered site. May be deciduous in cold areas, fully evergreen in areas with warm winters.
Soil type
Chalky, Clay, Loamy, Sandy (will tolerate most soil types)
Soil drainage
Moist but well-drained, Well-drained
Soil pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Light
Partial Shade, Full Shade
Aspect
North, South, East, West
Exposure
Sheltered
UK hardiness Note: We are working to update our ratings. Thanks for your patience.
Hardy (H4)
Companion plants
We do not currently have companion plants added for this plant.
Botanical name
Dryopteris cycadina
Other names
Shaggy shield fern, Black wood fern, Dryopteris atrata, Dryopteris hirtipes
Genus
Dryopteris Dryopteris
Species
D. cycadina - D. cycadina is a clump-forming, semi-evergreen fern with black-scaly stems and erect to arching, bright green fronds with darker green mid-ribs.
Native to
China, Japan
Foliage
Semi evergreen
Habit
Clump-forming
Awards
RHS AGM (Award of Garden Merit)
Create your free Shoot garden
Create your free SHOOT garden and make a record of the plants in your garden.
Add your own photos, notes, get monthly email reminders on how to care for your plants, and connect with other gardeners. Get started now.
Colour
Foliage
Blue-green, Flushed black in Spring; Bright-green in Summer; Bright-green in Autumn; Bright-green in Winter
General care
Pruning
Remove dead or damaged fronds when needed.
Propagation methods
Division, Spores
Monthly care advice
Get access to monthly care advice
Create a free SHOOT account and get instant access to expert care advice for this and other plants in your garden.
You'll also receive handy monthly email reminders of what needs doing. Create your free account.
Where to grow
Dryopteris cycadina (Shaggy shield fern) will reach a height of 0.75m and a spread of 0.6m after 5-10 years.
Suggested uses
Cottage/Informal, Beds and borders, Low Maintenance, Underplanting, Wildflower, Foliage only
Cultivation
Plant in moist, humus-rich soil in a partially shaded, sheltered site. May be deciduous in cold areas, fully evergreen in areas with warm winters.
Soil type
Chalky, Clay, Loamy, Sandy (will tolerate most soil types)
Soil drainage
Moist but well-drained, Well-drained
Soil pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Light
Partial Shade, Full Shade
Aspect
North, South, East, West
Exposure
Sheltered
UK hardiness Note: We are working to update our ratings. Thanks for your patience.
Hardy (H4)
USDA zones
Zone 9, Zone 8, Zone 7, Zone 6, Zone 5
In order to add a note on this plant, please add this plant to your plant lists.
| This plant likes... | Garden match | |
| Soil types: | Chalky, Clay, Loamy, Sandy (will tolerate most soil types) | Tell us... |
| Soil drainage: | Moist but well-drained, Well-drained | Tell us... |
| Soil pH: | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral | Tell us... |
| Light: | Partial Shade, Full Shade | Tell us... |
| Aspect: | North, South, East, West | Tell us... |
| Exposure: | Sheltered | Tell us... |
| Hardiness: | Hardy (H4) | Tell us... |
GARDENS WITH THIS PLANT
ARTICLES WITH THIS PLANT
M&G Investments, the title sponsor of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, has commissioned designer Andy Sturgeon to create The M&G Garden for 2019’s Show. read more
Designed by Jo Thompson. Classicism meets modernism in this garden which references Etruria, Wedgwood’s eighteenth century factory and village built for workers, where forward-thinking elements… read more
By West London based garden designer Jonathan Snow. This year, Jonathan and Trailfinders want to transport visitors several thousand miles west around the globe, to the temperate rainforests of South… read more
B&Q returns to the RHS Flower Show calendar, having teamed up with award-winning garden designer Matthew Childs to create a show garden at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower show named the… read more
By garden designers Laurie Chetwood and Patrick Collins. The Silk Road Garden is inspired by the rich history and culture of Chengdu, capital of the ancient Chinese Shu kingdom, and since ancient … read more
To add ? to your lists,
login to your account or subscribe.
Find out more about plant lists here
or Login
To add notes for this plant login to your account or register for a new account.
Sign up for freeor Login
To add images for this plant login to your account or register for a new account.
Sign up for freeor Login
To check if this plant is suitable for your garden first login to your account or subscribe.
or Login