Dryopteris wallichiana Jurassic Gold - Wood Fern

Dryopteris wallichiana Jurassic Gold is a robust and highly ornamental fern, whose young fronds are initially coppery pink, then turn to a soft green. Semi-evergreen and very hardy, it brings a touch of exoticism to your borders or pots. Provide it with a rich, moist and well-drained soil, in shade or partial shade.

The Wallich's fern belongs to the Dryopteridaceae family, which includes numerous ornamental ferns such as our classic male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas), native, the Polystichums (Polystichum), or even the holly ferns (Cyrtomium). This species is found in mountain forests and edges in the Himalayan zone (which says a lot about its hardiness) but also from Mexico to the Andes, via Indonesia, at altitudes ranging from 1500 to 3500 metres (4921 to 11483 feet). In the wild type, the young fronds are bright green and grow very vertically, and the plant forms an erect and spreading tuft, majestic. The well-marked veins and the rachis (the central axis of the frond) covered with brownish scales are particularly aesthetic and elegant. Under good conditions, a well-established plant can reach 1 metre (3 feet) in height and 60cm (24in) in spread, or even more. In not too harsh climates, the fronds are semi-evergreen.

The Jurassic Gold variety has the particularity of having young fronds that are coppery orange, sometimes with a hint of pink, gradually turning to a beautiful soft green. The new fronds thus form a brightly colored crown above the older, darker fronds.

Dryopteris wallichiana Jurassic Gold is robust and, given its mountainous origins, extremely hardy (down to -25°C (1°F) for Himalayan strains). It appreciates a rich, moist to wet but well-drained soil (like most temperate zone ferns), acidic to slightly alkaline, in shade or partial shade. Once well-established, this fern is perfectly capable of enduring periods of drought, in not too hot climates, but it will thrive and reach large dimensions in a cool and nutrient-rich soil. It is also an excellent plant for containers, with its coppery young fronds brightening up a shady corner of a terrace with brilliance.

You can easily associate it with many other ferns that thrive in the same conditions: Dryopteris lepidopoda and Dryopteris erythrosora, two other species with coppery young fronds for a subtly nuanced effect for several weeks, as well as Athyrium filx-femina, Polystichum munitum, Cyrtomium fortunei... Similarly, many perennials or grasses with a slightly "exotic" look will complement this tableau with joy: Kirengeshoma palmata, Hakonechloa macra, or even the rare shade sage Salvia omeiana.