Makino's holly fern
Polystichum makinoi ·
Glossy, olive-green fronds with a satin sheen, in a graceful, arching rosette. An elegant evergreen from Japan.
- Size
- 22 in tall, 24 in wide
- Zones
- 5 to 9
- Light
- Part shade to shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves
- Pets
- Not checked
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around Makino's holly fern
The planner designed this bed around Makino's holly fern when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, part shade. It chose the other plants from the 513 that suit those conditions, and says below why Makino's holly fern stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Makino's holly fern × 3, dark green leaves
- 2 Moor grass 'Greenlee' × 7, tan
- 3 English primrose × 5, yellow
- 4 White snakeroot 'Chocolate' × 3, white
- 5 Tall astilbe 'Superba' × 3, purple
- 6 Mountain hydrangea 'Tuff Stuff' × 1, pink
- 7 Double snowdrop × 12, white
- 8 Winter aconite × 12, yellow
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
Why here
- In the middle. At 22 in it is the step between English primrose (6 in) in front and mountain hydrangea 'Tuff Stuff' (2½ ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- 3 plants in one group. Massed, one kind reads as a single shape. Scattered, it would look spotty.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, all year. They cover the 8 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
- The only leaves in winter. From November to March it is what there is to look at.
Planned as an English border: 5 of the 5 groups (100%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. The back corners are held by white snakeroot 'Chocolate' and tall astilbe 'Superba', the tallest plants on the plan. Neither end outweighs the other: the visual weight is split 51 to 49, left to right.
The planner's own design check: 11 Excellent, 6 Good.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where Makino's holly fern goes in a border
At 22 in it belongs in the middle of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium short (18 to 24 in).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
The sheen on the fronds catches the light in deep shade. It is a tidy size for the front or middle of a bed.
- Glossy evergreen ferns
- Refined texture in a small shade garden
- With hostas and toad lilies
What to plant with Makino's holly fern
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Hosta 'June': bold leaves against its medium ones; happy in the same moist soil.
- Lenten rose: adds the flowers, late March to early May; bold leaves against its medium ones.
- Toad lily: adds the flowers, mid September to mid October; happy in the same moist soil.
Questions about Makino's holly fern
Does Makino's holly fern need sun or shade?
Makino's holly fern grows in part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light).
It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does Makino's holly fern grow in?
USDA zones 5 to 9. It is hardy to zone 5, which means it survives winter nights down to about −10 °F (−23 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should Makino's holly fern be planted?
18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 24 in (60 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 22 in (55 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many Makino's holly fern plants do I need?
At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 5 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 17 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used three in one group.
Is there a native plant like Makino's holly fern?
Makino's holly fern is not native to North America. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Christmas fern: the same job in a bed and the same size; wants average soil.
- Western maidenhair fern: the same job in a bed and the same size; fine leaves, not medium, not evergreen.
- Marginal wood fern: the same job in a bed and the same size; wants average soil.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
What does Makino's holly fern look like in winter?
Makino's holly fern keeps its dark green leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone.
More Polystichum
- Braun's holly fern Polystichum braunii
- Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
- Korean rock fern Polystichum tsus-simense
- Soft shield fern Polystichum setiferum
- Tassel fern Polystichum polyblepharum
- Western sword fern Polystichum munitum
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Fern
- Size
- 22 in (55 cm) tall, 24 in (60 cm) wide
- Plant
- 18 in (45 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium short (18 to 24 in)
- Place in the bed
- Middle
- Flowers
- None: grown for its foliage
- Leaves
- Medium texture, evergreen; dark green
- Shape
- Arching, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 5 to 9
- Light
- Part shade, shade
- Soil
- Rich, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
Not yet checked against an outside reference: its figures rest on general horticultural knowledge. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.