Polystichum polyblepharum - Japanese Lace Fern

Polystichum polyblepharum is a lovely fern, also known as Japanese lace fern or bear's paw fern, with deeply cut evergreen fronds in a lovely shade of dark green. The leaves can grow up to 50 to 60cm (20 to 24in) long.

This fern has a dense stump from which numerous large, evergreen fronds emerge. They are bipinnate and leathery, with a beautiful glossy dark green colour and tightly packed pinnules.

This fern has a remarkable ground cover effect in a clear and cool understory or in shaded flower beds, in soil rich in leaf mould. It tolerates heavy clay soils as long as water does not stagnate during winter.