Japanese Holly Fern is made for moist, shady areas, even in climates where winters are harsh and extreme weather can blight lesser plants. An evergreen hardy fern, it should be a mainstay of your shade border, where it will offer elegant form and fresh color year-round. Compact and neat, this fern unfurls small pinnae (leaves) closely set on each long, elegant frond. The color is not highly glossy, but a more understated, matt shade of green that complements all surrounding hues in the shade. A spectacular choice for large plantings in the shade, even a small grouping mixes well with other perennials and stands out nicely. Reaching about 24 inches tall and 16 inches wide, this plant begins spring with pale green fronds. They darken somewhat as they mature, displaying their slender form well. Japanese Holly Fern is native to Korea, China, and (of course!) Japan, so it tolerates our hot and humid summers beautifully. It thrives in consistently moist but not poorly draining soils, and remains evergreen. If the winter weather is particularly harsh, it may need an early-spring trim to remove any damaged fronds, but it will quickly bounce back with regular watering and a light spring feeding. Long-lived and dependable, it will become a shade border mainstay. We highly recommend it. Zones 5-9.
