Photo: by Thomas Moore ; edited by John Lindley ; nature-printed by Henry Bradbury., Public domain · source
Fern · Dryopteridaceae
Narrow buckler-fern
Dryopteris carthusiana
In other languages: Smalle stekelvaren (Nederlands) · Dryoptéris des chartreux (Français)
Narrow buckler-fern is a native fern of damp, acid woodland in Europe, and also occurs in Asia and North America. In Belgium it is often found in alder carr, on peat and in damp broadleaved woods on sandy soil. It forms a slender, upright clump 40–60 cm tall with light green, twice-divided fronds that are narrowly triangular to lance-shaped. The frond stalk bears uniformly pale brown scales, without the dark central stripe on the scales of its larger relative, the broad buckler-fern. It looks at home in a shady wildlife garden, among rhododendrons or along a damp woodland edge.
Caution: Buckler-ferns are not edible: do not eat young fiddleheads from the garden.
Light
Partial shade or shade
tolerates little sun
Moisture
Normal to wet
must not dry out
Legal basis
Sand or peat
acid
Hardiness
Fully hardy
down to -30 °C
Size
0.6 m
tall, 0.5 m wide
| Pruning months | March |
|---|---|
| Height | 0.6 m |
| Native to Belgium | Yes |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous |
Identify
Narrow buckler-fern: how do you recognise it?
- Habit
- Slender, upright clump 40–60 cm tall and 40–50 cm across, sometimes with a few clumps side by side.
- Fronds
- Lance-shaped to narrowly triangular, twice divided, with finely toothed, slightly spiny leaflets; light green.
- Stalk
- Long, with uniformly pale brown scales.
- Season
- Usually deciduous; in mild winters some fronds stay green.
- Spores
- Round spore clusters with a kidney-shaped cover on the underside of the frond; ferns do not flower.
- Roots
- Short, creeping rhizome.
Plants: March–May and September–October · Pruning: March
In your garden
Why grow it?
- A native fern that suits a shady wildlife garden or woodland edge perfectly.
- Slender and upright: takes up little space and gives a fresh, airy feel.
- Grows on acid, damp soil and even on peat, where many other plants struggle.
- Fully hardy, to about −30 °C.
- Offers shelter to frogs, toads and other small creatures on the woodland floor.
- Little work: it only needs a tidy-up in spring.
Narrow buckler-fern: where does it grow best?
- Partial to full shade, such as under trees or on the north side of a hedge.
- Acid, humus-rich soil: sand or peat, improved with leaf mould. It dislikes chalky soil.
- Moist to wet: it likes the edge of a ditch, a damp corner or boggy woodland soil.
- Sheltered from drying winds.
- Plant 40–50 cm apart, or in loose groups among other woodland plants.
- Light
- Partial shade and shade
- Soil type
- Sand or peat
- Acidity
- Acid
- Moisture
- Normal or wet
- Size
- 0.6 m tall, 0.5 m wide
- Hardiness
- Hardy (to -30 °C)
Goes well with
- Rhododendron: Likes the same acid, humus-rich soil and gives evergreen contrast.
- Wood anemone: Small white flowers in early spring, before the fern emerges.
- May lily: A native ground cover for the same acid woodland soil.
- Great wood-rush: An evergreen, grass-like plant for acid, shady woodland soil.
Maintenance
Narrow buckler-fern: when and how to plant it?
Plant in March–May and September–October.
- Plant from March to May or in September–October, ideally during a damp spell.
- Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot and mix in leaf mould.
- Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot, with the rhizome just below the surface; no deeper.
- Leave 40–50 cm between plants and firm the soil.
- Water well straight away and keep the soil moist for the first few weeks.
- Spread a layer of leaf mould or fallen leaves around the plant.
Care
- Water
- Keep the soil moist, especially in the first year. In a naturally damp spot no extra water is needed later.
- Feeding
- Not needed: fallen leaves and a little leaf mould in spring are enough.
- Mulching
- Leave fallen tree leaves around the plant: that is the natural mulch of a woodland fern.
- Old fronds
- Leave the dead fronds standing in winter and only cut them off in March.
- Weeding
- Remove brambles and other vigorous plants that smother the fern.
Tip: Plant it in acid, damp soil, even on peat or beside a ditch. Leave fallen autumn leaves around the base: this gives it the humus-rich woodland floor it loves.
Narrow buckler-fern: when to prune it?
Pruning months: March.
When: In March, before the new fiddleheads unfurl. Otherwise it is not pruned.
How:
- Leave the old fronds all winter: they protect the crown and give shelter to small creatures.
- In March cut the brown fronds off just above the ground and leave them as mulch around the plant.
- Fronds that have stayed green through winter can be left until the new fronds are out.
Propagation
- Division
- In March–April, lift an old clump with several crowns and divide it with a sharp spade. Replant straight away and water.
- Spores
- In late summer, collect ripe spores and sow them under glass on sterile, moist, acid seed compost. In a suitable spot young ferns also appear by themselves.
Narrow buckler-fern: how does it get through the winter?
Hardy to −30 °C.
- Fully hardy, to about −30 °C: no protection needed.
- Leave the old fronds until March as natural winter protection.
- Fallen autumn leaves around the base keep the rhizome sheltered and the soil rich in humus.
Diseases and pests
- Drying out: Brown, shrivelled fronds in summer from drought or too much sun. Water, mulch and if necessary move to a damper spot.
- Yellow fronds: On chalky soil it grows poorly and the fronds turn yellow. Improve the soil with leaf mould or choose another spot.
- Slugs: Sometimes eat the young fiddleheads. Pick them off in the evening; in a wildlife garden toads and hedgehogs help.
- Brown dots: Brown dots on the underside of the frond are not a disease or aphids, but the spore clusters.
Through the year
- March: Cut away old fronds and leave them as mulch.
- April: Plant or divide. New fiddleheads unfurl.
- May: Plant.
- June: Water in dry spells.
- July: Water in dry spells.
- August: Collect ripe spores.
- September: Plant or divide.
- October: Plant. Leave fallen leaves around the plant.
- November: The fronds die back; leave them as winter protection.
You and this species
Did you know?
- The name carthusiana refers to the Carthusians, the monastic order of La Grande Chartreuse in the French Alps.
- In the wild it readily hybridises with the broad buckler-fern; the hybrid is an intermediate form that often grows alongside both parents.
- You can tell it from the broad buckler-fern by the scales on the frond stalk: uniformly pale brown in the narrow buckler-fern, with a dark central stripe in the broad one.