Gymnocarpium dryopteris 'Plumosum'

RHS Plant Profile
oak fern 'Plumosum'

Save a plant

Where do you want to save Gymnocarpium dryopteris 'Plumosum'?

Plants I own
Wishlist
Go to My Plants
oak fern 'Plumosum' RHS / Joanna Kossak
oak fern 'Plumosum' RHS

Synonyms

Currania dryopteris 'Plumosum'

Award of Garden Merit
Ferns
Buy this from Plant Nurseries
9 Suppliers

A hardy, deciduous fern forming colonies of bright green triangular fronds to 15cm long and wide, the segments broad and overlapping and appearing more full than those of the species

Position

Full shade

Soil Types

Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Neutral

Position

Full shade
Aspect
North–facing or West–facing or East–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)
H5

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Woodsiaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Matforming
Genus
Gymnocarpium are small deciduous ferns with a slender creeping rhizome, and much-divided, triangular to ovate fronds
Name Status
Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in a neutral to acid, leafy, moist soil, enriched with garden compost, in deep shade. See how to grow ferns for further advice

Propagation

Sow spores at 15°C (59°F) when ripe or divide in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Rock garden
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Underplanting of roses and shrubs
  • Banks and slopes
  • Ground cover

Pruning

Cut back in autumn as fronds fade

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free