Phyllitis scolopendrium Bolton’s Noble - Hart's-tongue fern

Asplenium scolopendrium 'Bolton's Noble' is a pretty version with narrow and very frizzled leaves, of golden green colour, of the Scolopendrium fern commonly called Deer's Tongue. The plant forms a dense tuft of shiny fronds, which change from golden yellow to yellow-green and persist in winter. It is an easy-to-grow variety as long as it benefits from some humus soil and a humid environment: it decorates a cool rockery, a waterfall or the surroundings of a water point throughout the year.

Asplenium scolopendrium 'Bolton's Noble' belongs to the Aspleniaceae family. Its parent Phyllitis scolopendrium, native to northern Eurasia, is indigenous to France. It can be found up to 1800m (5905ft) altitude in forest ravines, near streams, on the inner walls of wells or on old shaded walls, often on limestone soil. It is a protected species in certain French regions.

The Deer's Tongue fern 'Bolton's Noble' grows from a short and thick rhizome, covered with reddish scales. The plant slowly forms a tuft about 50cm (20in) in height and 50cm (20in) in width. Its fronds are entire, in the form of long flat ribbons, 3-4cm (1-2in) wide, with a strongly undulated and crisped border. Each frond is carried by a hairy short petiole covered with dark scales. The new leaves, golden yellow in color, form in spring. Like all ferns, the Deer's Tongue does not flower, but it produces reproductive organs called sori. They are visible on the lower surface of the fronds. They are clusters of brownish colour, more or less tinged with orange-yellow or violet, linear, large, oblique and parallel to each other. These sori are quite decorative.

Asplenium scolopendrium 'Bolton's Noble', easy to grow and decorative all year round, has its place in our gardens. This fern also makes a lovely subject to decorate a shaded terrace, accompanied by hostas for example. Also consider associating it with cyclamen and hellebores. You can plant your plants in shady, semi-shady or non-burning sun positions (maximum 3 hours of sun per day), but the soil should not be too dry in summer. Adapt the choice of location for your fern according to the moisture of your soil. The Deer's Tongue fern tolerates some drought if exposed to shade. It willingly settles on a slope, in a pile of stones mixed with soil, or in a pocket of humus created in a wall.