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Pteris dentata

toothed brake

A versatile, fast-growing, clump-forming, evergreen fern with bright green, slightly cupped, dissected, lace-like foliage. An ideal fern for groundcover in damp soil or shade. May be used as a houseplant and also grown in containers outdoors, if kept well-watered and in a shady location. Hardy in milder parts of the UK, but may need protection from frost

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

1–2 years

Ultimate spread

0.5–1 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full shade
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Pteridaceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Clump forming
Genus: Pteris can be evergreen, semi-evergreen or deciduous ferns, with short or long rhizomes and fronds that may be pinnate to 4-pinnate
Name status: Correct
Plant range: Turkey, Middle East, Africa

How to grow

Cultivation

Indoors, grow in moist but well-drained compost in a humid location in bright, filtered light. Water regularly to keep soil moist but avoid waterlogging. Repot in spring if showing signs of outgrowing their pot. Feed monthly during the growing sesason (Apr-Sept). Outdoors, grow in moist soil in part or full shade. If growing in containers, ensure that they are kept moist. Protect from frost. See how to grow ferns or how to grow ferns as houseplants for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by spores or division of rhizomes or rootball in spring or when re-potting. Include healthy fronds or leaf buds when dividing

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
hanging basket
Houseplants
Patio and container plants
Low Maintenance
Conservatory and greenhouse
Flower borders and beds
Ground cover

Pruning

No pruning required. Remove dead fronds as required

Pests

May be susceptible to mealybugs, aphids and red spider mite

Diseases

May be susceptible to leaf spot, bacterial wilt and a virus

Get involved

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