Japanese tassel fern

Japanese tassel fern: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Rounded, shuttlecock-shaped clump about 60 cm tall and 70 cm wide, with arching fronds.

Fronds

Lance-shaped, twice divided, firm and leathery, 40–60 cm long; the small pinnules are finely toothed.

Colour

Very glossy dark green all year round. The young fronds are paler green at first.

Stalk

Densely set with golden-brown to rusty-brown, bristly scales.

Young fronds

As they unfurl, the tip of the frond first hangs backwards like a tassel, then straightens.

Spores

Round spore clusters in rows under the frond, with a round membrane; ferns do not flower.

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

Why grow it?

• Evergreen, with some of the glossiest fronds among ferns: an ornament in winter too.
• A playful effect in spring: the young fronds first hang backwards like tassels.
• A regular, graceful shuttlecock that brings calm and structure to a shade border.
• Grows in sand, loam and clay, as long as the soil is rich in humus.
• Does not spread and stays compact: suitable for small gardens and for a large pot on a shady patio.
• Little work: cutting off the old fronds once a year is enough.

Japanese tassel fern: where does it grow best?

• Partial shade to shade; no fierce midday sun, which scorches the glossy fronds.
• Humus-rich, well-drained soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to neutral.
• Normally moist: cool and moisture-retentive, but not waterlogged in winter.
• Sheltered from drying winds, especially cold east winds in winter.
• Plant 60–70 cm apart, or in a group of three at 60 cm.

Light

Partial shade and shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.6 m tall, 0.7 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -20 °C)

Goes well with

• Japanese forest grass: A graceful, arching grass that, like this fern, comes from Japan.
• Hosta: Large, broad leaves as a calm contrast to the fine, glossy fern fronds.
• Hellebore: Flowers in late winter, around the time you cut off the old fern fronds.
• Siberian bugloss: Sky-blue little flowers in April beside the young fern fronds.
• Japanese anemone: Flowers from August to October above the dark green fern fronds.

Japanese tassel 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 neither frozen nor too dry.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot and work in a few spadefuls of leaf mould or well-rotted compost.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as before: the crown belongs at the surface, not below it.
4. Leave 60–70 cm between plants and firm the soil well.
5. Water thoroughly straight away and keep the soil moist for the first few weeks.
6. Spread a thin layer of leaf mould around the plant as a mulch, but not over the crown.

Care

Water

In the first year, water weekly in dry spells. After that in long dry periods, in the morning at the base.

Feeding

Little needed: in April a layer of leaf mould or well-rotted compost. No chemical fertiliser.

Mulching

Leave fallen tree leaves around the clump, but remove them from the crown.

Old fronds

In March cut off the old fronds, before the new croziers unfurl.

In a pot

A roomy pot with humus-rich, free-draining compost and a drainage hole. Never let it dry out, and repot every two to three years in spring.

Tip: Give it a sheltered spot out of drying winds and its glossy fronds will stay handsome in winter too. Cut off the old fronds in March so you can enjoy the tassels of the new fronds in spring.

Japanese tassel 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 fronds off just above the crown, even if they are still green: the tassels of the new fronds will then show off well.
• After a mild winter you can also just remove the brown and damaged fronds.
• Work carefully around the scaly croziers in the centre.
• Brown or damaged fronds can be removed now and then during the summer.

Caution: Do not wait too long: once the new fronds are out, it is easy to cut them off by mistake.

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. Small ferns appear after a few months; it takes a few years to get a sizeable plant.

Division

Older plants with several crowns can be divided with a sharp spade in March–April, each piece with a crown and roots. Replant at once and water well.

Japanese tassel fern: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −20 °C.

• Hardy to about −20 °C: no problem in most Belgian winters.
• The fronds stay green and glossy in winter; after hard frost or dry east winds they may turn brown, but the plant regrows in spring.
• Leave the old fronds until March: they protect the crown. In a severe winter, add some extra leaves around the base.
• In a pot: stand it against a sheltered wall and wrap it in hessian in frost, as roots in a pot freeze more quickly.

Diseases and pests

• Crown rot: The crown turns brown and soft in wet, compacted soil. Plant in a well-drained spot and remove wet leaves from the crown.
• Brown fronds: Dry, brown frond edges from drying wind, fierce sun or drought. Water, mulch and provide shelter.
• Late frost: The young croziers can freeze in April–May. Cover with fleece if frost is forecast; the plant usually regrows.
• Vine weevil: Mainly in pots, the grubs eat the roots and the plant wilts for no obvious reason. Check the root ball and use nematodes against the grubs in late summer.

Through the year

• March: Cut off the old fronds. Spread leaf mould.
• April: Plant. Watch out for late frost.
• May: The young fronds hang backwards like tassels. Plant.
• June: Water in dry spells.
• July: Water in dry spells. Remove brown fronds.
• August: Water in dry spells. Collect ripe spores.
• September: Plant. Collect ripe spores.
• October: Plant. Remove fallen leaves from the crown.
• December: The glossy, evergreen fronds decorate the winter garden.

Did you know?

• ‘Polyblepharum’ means ‘with many eyelashes’, after the bristly scales on the stalks.
• The name ‘tassel fern’ refers to the young fronds, whose tips first hang backwards like a tassel as they unfurl.
• Polystichum means ‘many rows’, after the rows of spore clusters under the frond.