Dryopteris filix-mas Crispa Cristata - Male Fern

Dryopteris filix-mas 'Crispa Cristata' is certainly a small-sized male fern, but it forms a very dense clump of pale green fronds with all crisped tips, particularly unique. Its spreading habit is very dense and stands out in slightly shady areas of the garden. While its growth is quite slow, it spreads over time in large colonies thanks to its creeping rhizomes. This variety tolerates summer drought better than the type and proves to be very sturdy and equally cold-resistant. It is curious and endearing, planted in a rockery, accentuating a border, or reigning in a large pot on the terrace.

Dryopteris filix-mas, commonly known as the 'male' fern, is a species belonging to the large family of Dryopteridaceae. widespread in Europe, Asia, and North America, this deciduous or semi-evergreen fern lives in cool, moist, and shaded habitats, along hedges, ditches, and in deciduous or resinous leafy or evergreen forests. 'Crispa Cristata', from which it originates, is a more compact form with crisped and crested foliage of this species. 'Crispa Cristata' forms a very dense clump, 60cm (24in) tall and 50cm (20in) wide. It is composed of pale green, highly divided, crested fronds with both crested and crinkled leaflets. They emerge from a thick, scaly base, from an upright crown-like rhizome. The vegetation is deciduous to semi-evergreen, depending on the severity of the winter.

Dryopteris filix-mas 'Crispa Cristata' is very easy to grow in all shaded and cool locations, but in well-drained soil. Thanks to its compact habit, it is suitable for small gardens, but also for large ones, where it will thrive under tree canopies. It can be planted in a rockery, on a slope, together with saxifrages or wall bellflowers, or as a border plant. It forms beautiful mass plantings in woodland areas, placed next to Astilbe arendsii 'Burgundy Red', a fern with feathery foliage like Athyrium filix-femina, or blue Himalayan poppies. This variety is well-suited for cultivation in a large pot, with regular watering and fertile substrate.