Fortune’s holly fern

Fortune’s holly fern: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Compact clump 40–60 cm tall and wide, with upright to arching fronds from a single crown.

Fronds

Once-pinnate, up to about 60 cm long, with a row of lance-shaped, finely toothed, holly-like leaflets on each side.

Colour

Matt grey-green to olive green; the young fiddleheads are covered with brown scales.

Spores

Round spore clusters scattered over the underside of the leaflets; ferns do not flower.

Roots

Short, upright rhizome: the plant stays a clump and does not spread.

Plants: March–May and September–October · Pruning: March

Why grow it?

• Evergreen with large, striking fronds: structure in the shade, even in winter.
• Tolerates lime and fairly dry shade, where many other ferns struggle.
• Very handsome in a pot on a shady terrace or by the front door.
• An exotic, almost tropical look, yet hardy to about −20 °C.
• Little work: a single cut in March is enough.

Fortune’s holly fern: where does it grow best?

• Partial to full shade; morning or evening sun is fine, but fierce midday sun scorches the fronds.
• Any well-drained garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid, neutral or chalky, ideally with some humus.
• Moderately moist; once well rooted it also copes with fairly dry shade, for instance under trees or by a wall.
• Sheltered from cold, drying winter winds, so the evergreen fronds stay attractive.
• Allow 50–60 cm per plant.

Light

Partial shade and shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.6 m tall, 0.6 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -20 °C)

Goes well with

• Hellebore: Flowers in late winter beside the evergreen fern fronds.
• Hosta: Large, soft leaves as a contrast to the stiff fronds.
• Barrenwort: An evergreen ground cover that also copes with dry shade.
• Japanese forest grass: Fine, cascading grass beside the bold fronds.

Fortune’s holly fern: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May and September–October.

1. Plant from March to May or in September–October, when the soil is not frozen.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot and mix in some compost or leaf mould.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot: the crown must stay above the soil or it will rot.
4. Leave 50–60 cm between plants and firm the soil.
5. Water well straight away, then regularly in dry spells during the first year.
6. Spread a layer of leaf mould or wood chips around the plant, but not against the crown.

Care

Water

In the first year, water weekly in dry spells. After that only in long dry periods; in a pot, regularly.

Feeding

A thin layer of compost in spring; in a pot, some organic plant food now and then in summer.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould in spring keeps the soil moist and cool.

In a pot

A pot of at least 30 cm with a drainage hole and humus-rich potting compost; repot every 2–3 years in spring.

Old fronds

In March, cut away old, damaged fronds before the new ones emerge.

Tip: In March, cut all the old fronds off just above the crown: the plant then makes a fresh, grey-green ring of new fronds. In a pot on a shady terrace it does just as well as in the border.

Fortune’s holly fern: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March.

When: In March, before the new fiddleheads emerge from the crown.

How:

• Cut last year’s fronds off close to the base; this gives the new fronds room.
• If the old fronds still look good after a mild winter, remove only the brown and damaged ones.
• Do not cut into the crown: that is where the new fiddleheads sit.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Spores

Fairly easy: in late summer, let a frond with ripe spores dry on paper and sow the spores under glass on sterile, moist seed compost. Small ferns appear after a few months.

Division

Older plants with several crowns can be carefully divided in spring; single-crowned plants cannot.

Self-sown

On damp walls and between stones, young plants sometimes appear from spores by themselves; you can pot them up.

Fortune’s holly fern: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −20 °C.

• Hardy to about −20 °C: no protection needed in most Belgian winters.
• After hard frost the fronds may turn brown; the plant regrows from the crown in spring.
• In severe frost you can lay a layer of dry leaves or straw around the base to protect the crown.
• In a pot: stand it sheltered against a wall and wrap it in hessian or bubble wrap; keep the compost slightly moist.

Diseases and pests

• Scorched fronds: Yellow or brown patches on the fronds from too much sun. Choose a shadier spot.
• Crown rot: The crown goes soft and brown if the plant sits too deep or the soil is too wet. Replant higher and improve drainage.
• Vine weevil: Mainly in pots: notched leaflet edges and a limp plant from grubs at the roots. Watering nematodes into the pot helps.
• Winter damage: Brown fronds after a cold, windy winter. Cut them off in March; a more sheltered spot helps.

Through the year

• March: Cut away old fronds. Spread compost.
• April: Plant or repot. New fiddleheads unfurl.
• May: Plant. Feed plants in pots.
• June: Water in dry spells, especially in pots.
• July: Water in dry spells.
• August: Collect ripe spores.
• September: Plant.
• October: Plant. Apply mulch.
• December: Rest. Protect pots in hard frost.

Did you know?

• It is named after Robert Fortune, the Scottish plant hunter who brought many plants from China to Europe in the 19th century.
• A close relative, Cyrtomium falcatum, has glossy fronds and is often sold as a houseplant; it is less hardy.