Dryopteris affinis Crispa - Scaly Male Fern

Dryopteris affinis 'Crispa', also known as Crisped Male Fern, is a beautiful dwarf variety with soft green fronds, with a curled appearance. This very hardy, semi-evergreen variety forms a magnificent, regular and dense bunch with an upright habit. This little eccentric deserves a special place in the garden, whether planted at the front of a woodland border or displayed in a lovely pot on the terrace. It will reveal all its charm under well-watered skies, in cool and humus-rich soil, in shade or partial shade.

Dryopteris affinis is a perennial terrestrial fern with a short and sturdy rhizome, belonging to the wood fern family. It is native to the moist understories of deciduous trees in Western and Southwest Europe, as well as Central Asia. This species tolerates cold weather very well and thrives in regions with high rainfall. It has given rise to numerous aberrant forms, including the 'Crispa' cultivar with its curled and crinkled fronds. 'Crispa' forms a harmonious and dense little clump, reaching a height of 20cm (8in) and a spread of 30cm (12in). In spring, its unfurling juvenile fronds are very ornamental. The mature fronds are bipinnate, semi-evergreen to evergreen depending on the severity of winter, with a glossy bright green colour. They reach a length of 10 to 15cm (4 to 6in).

This beautiful little fern thrives in shaded slopes, rooted in slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil, and is truly stunning in humid regions. Cut back the old fronds in early spring, as it is when the new fronds emerge that you will fully appreciate this fern. It can be planted in small groups against a north-facing wall, near an entrance, to be admired. It also deserves a prominent spot on the terrace, in shade, in a pot that will showcase its charming foliage.