Variegated shield fern
Arachniodes simplicior 'Variegata' · Polypodiaceae
Glossy, dark green, leathery fronds with a clear yellow band down the middle of every division.
- Size
- 18 in tall, 24 in wide
- Zones
- 7 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 variegated shield fern
The planner designed this bed around variegated shield fern when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 7, part shade. It chose the other plants from the 535 that suit those conditions, and says below why variegated shield fern stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Variegated shield fern × 3, dark green leaves
- 2 Blue star creeper × 18, blue
- 3 Creeping mahonia × 3, yellow
- 4 White turtlehead × 5, white
- 5 Tall astilbe 'Superba' × 3, purple
- 6 Bleeding heart 'Gold Heart' × 1, pink
- 7 Snowdrop × 8, white
- 8 Double 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 18 in it is the step between creeping mahonia (12 in) in front and white turtlehead (3 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 11 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
- One of three evergreens. They are what the bed has to show from November to March.
Planned as an English border: 6 of the 7 groups (86%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. The bed is balanced: the left half carries 52% of the visual weight and the right half 48%. Blue star creeper is planted in five places along the bed, which gives it rhythm.
The planner's own design check: 11 Excellent, 6 Good. 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 variegated shield fern goes in a border
At 18 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is short (12 to 18 in).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
The only fern with this clean, striped variegation. It creeps slowly and stays evergreen, and looks polished at every season in a mild, shady garden.
- Variegated evergreen foliage in shade
- Mild-climate woodland beds
- Containers
What to plant with variegated shield fern
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Japanese skimmia: adds the flowers, mid April to early May; tall enough (3½ ft) to stand behind it; happy in the same moist soil.
- Sweet box: adds the flowers, early February to late March; happy in the same moist soil.
- Autumn fern: happy in the same moist soil.
Questions about variegated shield fern
Does variegated shield fern need sun or shade?
Variegated 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 wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does variegated shield fern grow in?
USDA zones 7 to 9. It is hardy to zone 7, which means it survives winter nights down to about 10 °F (−12 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should variegated shield 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 18 in (45 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many variegated shield 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 variegated 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 variegated shield fern?
Variegated shield fern is not native to North America. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Bulblet fern: the same job in a bed; 6 in narrower, fine leaves, not medium.
- Christmas fern: the same job in a bed and the same size; belongs in the middle, not at the front, wants average soil.
- Bowles' golden grass: 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.
What does variegated shield fern look like in winter?
Variegated shield fern keeps its dark green and variegated leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone.
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Fern
- Size
- 18 in (45 cm) tall, 24 in (60 cm) wide
- Plant
- 18 in (45 cm) apart
- Height class
- Short (12 to 18 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- None: grown for its foliage
- Leaves
- Medium texture, evergreen; dark green, variegated
- Shape
- Arching, spreading
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 7 to 9
- Light
- Part shade, shade
- Soil
- Rich, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Polypodiaceae
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.