Broad buckler-fern

Dryopteris dilatata

In other languages: Brede stekelvaren (Nederlands) · Dryoptéris dilaté (Français)

Broad buckler-fern is one of the commonest ferns in the woods of Belgium and the rest of Europe. It forms a vigorous, broadly spreading clump up to 1 m tall and wide, with large, broadly triangular, two to three times divided fronds in dark green. The frond stalks bear brown scales with a dark central stripe, a handy feature for recognising it. In the wild it grows in damp, acid to neutral woodland soil, also on peat and in alder carr. In the garden it is a tough, easy fern for large shady borders, woodland edges and wildlife gardens; the cultivar ‘Crispa Whiteside’ has crisped leaflets and stays a little lower.

Caution: Buckler-ferns are not edible: do not eat young fiddleheads from the garden.

Updated on 9 October 2026

Light
Partial shade or shade
tolerates little sun
Moisture
Normal to wet
must not dry out
Legal basis
Sand, loam or peat
acid to neutral
Hardiness
Fully hardy
down to -30 °C
Size
1 m
tall, 1 m wide

Key facts
Pruning months	March
Height	1 m
Native to Belgium	Yes
Poisonous to people and pets	Not known to be poisonous

Identify

Broad buckler-fern: how do you recognise it?

Habit: Vigorous, broadly spreading clump 0.6–1 m tall and up to 1 m across.
Fronds: Large, broadly triangular to oval, two to three times divided, dark green, on a long stalk.
Stalk: With brown scales that have a dark central stripe.
Season: Deciduous to semi-evergreen: 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, thick rhizome with one or a few crowns.

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

In your garden

Why grow it?

A vigorous native fern that quickly fills a shady corner with large, elegant fronds.
Very hardy and tough: one of the easiest ferns for damp shade.
Ideal for a wildlife garden: it shelters frogs, toads, hedgehogs and insects on the woodland floor.
The fronds stay attractive until late autumn; in mild winters some even stay green.
Lovely among rhododendrons, under trees and along a shady pond edge.

Broad buckler-fern: where does it grow best?

Partial to full shade: under trees, on the north side of a building or at a woodland edge.
Humus-rich, acid to neutral soil: sand, loam or peat. Chalky soil is less suitable.
Moist to wet, but not under water for long periods.
A sheltered spot keeps the large fronds looking good.
Allow about 1 m per plant: it grows large.

Light: Partial shade and shade
Soil type: Sand, loam or peat
Acidity: Acid or neutral
Moisture: Normal or wet
Size: 1 m tall, 1 m wide
Hardiness: Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

Rhododendron: Likes the same acid, humus-rich soil and stays green while the fern rests.
Foxglove: A native biennial with tall flower spikes in June, for the same acid woodland soil.
Wood anemone: Small white flowers in early spring, before the fern emerges.
Great wood-rush: An evergreen, grass-like plant for acid, shady woodland soil.
Holly: Evergreen in winter, while the fern rests.

Maintenance

Broad buckler-fern: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May and September–October.

Plant from March to May or in September–October, when the soil is not frozen or too dry.
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 crown just above the soil.
Leave 0.8–1 m between plants and firm the soil well.
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: Regularly in dry spells in the first year. Later only in long dry periods, when the fronds start to droop.
Feeding: Not needed: fallen leaves and a little leaf mould are enough.
Mulching: Leave fallen leaves around the base as a natural mulch, as in a wood.
Old fronds: Leave the dead fronds standing in winter and only cut them off in March.
Space: If the clump becomes too large, divide it in spring.

Tip: Leave fallen leaves around the base and only cut the old fronds in March: this gives it the humus-rich woodland floor it needs and keeps the crown protected in winter.

Broad 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 to protect the crown and shelter small creatures.
In March cut the brown fronds off just above the ground; leave them as mulch around the plant or put them on the compost heap.
In summer, feel free to remove a broken or withered frond.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

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 seed compost.
Young plants: In a damp garden young ferns often appear from spores by themselves; move them in spring to where you want them.

Broad 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 protect the rhizome and feed the soil.

Diseases and pests

Drying out: Brown, limp fronds in a dry summer or in too sunny a spot. Water and mulch.
Slugs: Sometimes eat young fiddleheads. Pick them off in the evening; in a wildlife garden toads and hedgehogs help.
Too many youngsters: In a damp garden young ferns pop up everywhere. Pull them out or move them in spring.
Brown dots: Brown dots on the underside of the frond are not a disease, but the spore clusters.

Through the year

March: Cut away old fronds and use them as mulch.
April: Plant or divide. New fiddleheads unfurl.
May: Plant. Move young self-sown ferns.
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 base.
November: The fronds die back; leave them as winter protection.

You and this species

Did you know?

You can recognise it by the scales on the frond stalk: brown with a dark central stripe, whereas those of the narrow buckler-fern are uniformly pale brown.
It is one of the commonest ferns in Belgian woods, in Flanders as well as in Wallonia.
Ferns have no flowers or seeds: a spore first grows into a tiny, heart-shaped plantlet, and only from that does a new fern develop.

Garden plants · All species