Wallich’s wood fern

Dryopteris wallichiana

In other languages: Dryopteris (Nederlands) · Dryoptéris de Wallich (Français)

Dryopteris wallichiana, Wallich’s wood fern, grows wild in the mountain forests of the Himalayas and other parts of Asia. It is a large, stately fern, 1–1.2 m tall, forming a single broad shuttlecock of upright, lance-shaped fronds. In spring the young fronds stand out with their bright yellow-green colour, while the stalks and midribs are densely covered with dark brown to black scales. Later the foliage turns a deeper green. Gardeners choose it as a focal point for a sheltered, moist corner in the shade, where over the years it grows into an impressive plant.

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 clay
acid to neutral
Hardiness
Fully hardy
down to -25 °C
Size
1.2 m
tall, 1 m wide

Key facts
Pruning months	March
Height	1.2 m
Native to Belgium	No, planted
Poisonous to people and pets	Not known to be poisonous

Identify

Wallich’s wood fern: how do you recognise it?

Habit: Stately shuttlecock 1–1.2 m tall and about 1 m wide, from a single crown.
Fronds: Lance-shaped, once divided into deeply cut segments, up to 1 m long.
Colour: Young fronds bright yellow-green, later mid to dark green. In winter the fronds largely die back.
Stalk: Densely covered with dark brown to almost black scales, also along the midrib.
Spores: Round spore clusters under the fronds; ferns do not flower.
Roots: A thick, upright rhizome that hardly branches.

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

In your garden

Why grow it?

A real eye-catcher for the shade: a large, regular shuttlecock of fronds.
In spring the bright yellow-green young fronds with their dark scales are spectacular.
Grows well in moist to wet soil, for instance by a pond or stream.
Forms a single crown, so it does not spread: it stays neatly in its place.
Little work: cutting off the old fronds once a year is enough.
Creates a woodland feel and a calm backdrop for flowering shade plants.

Wallich’s wood fern: where does it grow best?

Partial shade to shade; no fierce midday sun, which scorches the large fronds.
Humus-rich soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to neutral, enriched with leaf mould.
Moist to wet: a spot by a pond or stream is ideal, but the rhizome must not stand in stagnant water.
Sheltered from wind: the long fronds can snap and dry out quickly.
Allow about 1 m per plant so the shuttlecock can unfold freely.

Light: Partial shade and shade
Soil type: Sand, loam or clay
Acidity: Acid or neutral
Moisture: Normal or wet
Size: 1.2 m tall, 1 m wide
Hardiness: Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

Hosta: Large, broad leaves at the foot of the tall fern shuttlecock.
Rodgersia: Large, hand-shaped leaves and plumes in summer, in the same moist, shady spot.
Astilbe: Plumes in white, pink and red in summer, in moist partial shade.
Wood anemone: Flowers in March–April at its feet, before the fern fronds unfurl.
Sweet woodruff: A low, fresh green ground cover with small white flowers in May.

Maintenance

Wallich’s wood 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 neither frozen nor too dry.
Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot and work in a few spadefuls of leaf mould or well-rotted compost.
Set the plant at the same depth as before: the crown with the croziers belongs at the surface, not under the soil.
Keep about 1 m from other large plants and firm the soil well.
Water thoroughly straight away and keep the soil moist throughout the first year.
Spread a layer of leaf mould around the plant as a mulch, but not over the crown.

Care

Water: The soil must never dry out: water generously in dry spells, in later years too. In a wet spot this is less necessary.
Feeding: In April, a layer of leaf mould or well-rotted compost. No chemical fertiliser.
Mulching: Leave fallen tree leaves between the ferns: this keeps the soil cool, moist and rich in humus.
Old fronds: Leave the dead fronds standing over winter and cut them off in March.
Shelter: If the wind snaps the fronds, move the fern to a more sheltered spot in spring.

Tip: Give this fern a sheltered spot in moist, humus-rich soil and then leave it alone: it becomes more stately every year. Place it where you can see the scaly croziers close up in spring.

Wallich’s wood fern: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March.

When: In March, before the new croziers unfurl. Otherwise this fern needs no pruning.

How:

Cut the old, brown fronds off just above the crown.
If some fronds are still green after a mild winter, you can cut those off too, so the new fronds show off well.
Work carefully around the thick, scaly croziers in the centre: they are the new fronds.
Snapped or damaged fronds can be removed now and then during the summer.

Caution: Do not damage the crown when tidying: this fern usually has just one crown, and damaged croziers will not grow into proper fronds.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Spores: In late summer lay a ripe frond on a sheet of paper and sow the released spores on sterile, moist compost under glass. This is how most new plants are raised, but it takes a few years to get a sizeable fern.
Division: Only possible when an older plant has formed side crowns: detach these with roots in March–April and replant at once. A plant with a single crown cannot be divided.

Wallich’s wood fern: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

Hardy to about −25 °C: no protection is needed in Belgian gardens.
The fronds largely die back in winter; in mild winters some stay green.
Leave the old fronds until March: they protect the crown and croziers from frost.
In a pot: stand it against a sheltered wall, wrap it in hessian in severe frost and do not let the compost dry out.

Diseases and pests

Brown fronds: Dry, brown frond edges from drought, fierce sun or wind. Water generously, mulch and provide shelter.
Snapped fronds: Long fronds snap in wind or heavy rain. Choose a sheltered spot; cut off snapped fronds.
Late frost: The young croziers can freeze in April–May. Cover with fleece if frost is forecast; the plant usually regrows.
Slugs: Sometimes eat the young croziers. Pick them off in the evening, or lay a plank as a hiding place and clear them in the morning.

Through the year

March: Cut off the old fronds. Spread leaf mould.
April: Plant. The scaly croziers appear. Watch out for late frost.
May: Yellow-green young fronds unfurl. Plant. Keep an eye on slugs.
June: Water in dry spells.
July: Water in dry spells. Remove snapped fronds.
August: Water in dry spells. Collect ripe spores.
September: Plant. Collect ripe spores.
October: Plant. Leave fallen leaves between the ferns.
November: The fronds die back. Leave them standing as protection.

You and this species

Did you know?

The species is named after Nathaniel Wallich (1786–1854), a Danish surgeon and botanist who ran the botanic garden in Calcutta and described many Himalayan plants.
It usually forms one large crown from which all the fronds rise in a ring; that is why it is hard to divide and is mainly raised from spores.
Ferns do not flower or set seed: they reproduce by spores that ripen under the fronds.

Garden plants · All species