Soft shield fern
Polystichum setiferum · Polypodiaceae
Soft, finely divided, mossy fronds that spiral out from the centre in a low, wide rosette. Evergreen in mild winters.
- Size
- 2½ ft tall, 2½ ft wide
- Zones
- 6 to 9
- Light
- Part shade to shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around soft shield fern
The planner designed this bed around soft shield 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 soft shield fern stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Soft shield fern × 1, green leaves
- 2 Moor grass 'Greenlee' × 7, tan
- 3 Polyanthus primrose × 8, yellow
- 4 Japanese meadowsweet × 3, pink
- 5 Blue wood aster × 5, lavender
- 6 Bleeding heart 'Gold Heart' × 1, pink
- 7 Winter cyclamen × 12, white
- 8 Snowdrop × 12, white
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 2½ ft it is the step between polyanthus primrose (8 in) in front and Japanese meadowsweet (3½ ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- One plant. Three or more is usual for a plant of this kind, and reads better.
- Fine leaf against bold. Japanese meadowsweet is beside it: the strongest contrast of leaf there is.
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: 4 of the 5 groups (80%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Soft shield fern, fine in leaf, stands next to bold-leaved Japanese meadowsweet, and each shows the other off. The flowers run from early February to mid October: 35 weeks in all.
The planner's own design check: 11 Excellent, 5 Good, 1 Satisfactory. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where soft shield fern goes in a border
At 2½ ft it belongs in the middle of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium (24 in to 2½ ft).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
The fronds lie almost flat in a swirling pattern that is best seen from above, so plant it beside a path or below a seat.
- Lacy evergreen texture
- Woodland gardens in mild climates
- Dry shade once established
What to plant with soft shield fern
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Hosta: bold leaves against its fine ones; happy in the same moist soil.
- Lenten rose: adds the flowers, late March to early May; bold leaves against its fine ones.
- Yellow corydalis: adds the flowers, early May to mid September; low enough (14 in) to stand in front of it.
Questions about soft shield fern
Does soft shield fern need sun or shade?
Soft shield 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 is one of the few that also put up with deep shade.
It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does soft shield fern grow in?
USDA zones 6 to 9. It is hardy to zone 6, which means it survives winter nights down to about 0 °F (−18 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should soft shield fern be planted?
24 in (60 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 2½ ft (80 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 2½ ft (70 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many soft shield fern plants do I need?
At 24 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 3 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 6 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 10 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 one in one group.
Is soft shield fern poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Is there a native plant like soft shield fern?
Soft shield fern comes from Macaronesia, Mediterranean to Iran. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Evergreen wood fern: the same job in a bed and the same size.
- Victorian lady fern: the same job in a bed; 6 in narrower, not evergreen.
- Western maidenhair fern: the same job in a bed; 6 in narrower, not evergreen.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Do deer eat soft shield fern?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
What does soft shield fern look like in winter?
Soft shield fern keeps its 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
- Makino's holly fern Polystichum makinoi
- Tassel fern Polystichum polyblepharum
- Western sword fern Polystichum munitum
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Fern
- Size
- 2½ ft (70 cm) tall, 2½ ft (80 cm) wide
- Plant
- 24 in (60 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium (24 in to 2½ ft)
- Place in the bed
- Middle
- Flowers
- None: grown for its foliage
- Leaves
- Fine texture, evergreen; green
- Shape
- Arching, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 6 to 9
- Light
- Part shade, shade
- Soil
- Rich, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Polypodiaceae
- Comes from
- Macaronesia, Mediterranean to Iran
- Stands up to
- Deer, rabbits, deep shade
Checked against NC State Extension. 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.