November 23, 2024

3 evergreen ferns for the winter

Evergreen foliage to have a touch of greenery all year round in the garden.

With their decorative, varied, graphic foliage, the evergreen ferns enliven the garden, adorn the feet of shrubs, and serve as a setting for hellebores and early bulbs. Most prefer shade and partial shade, cool, moist soil. But some love the sun and grow in low walls, between two stones, where there is little earth. Magnificent when they bend under the frost, they stand up proudly, green and thick, at the slightest warmth.

Dryopteris erythrosora

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Coppery, almost pink, the spring fronds of Dryopteris erythrosora take on a dark green hue in summer, to last until the end of winter. In March and April, when the young shoots burst, this 50 cm tall fern is spectacular. Install it in partial shade, in moist, cool soil, and combine it with blue flowering bulbs: blanda anemones, Siberian scilles, Spanish hyacinths …

Phyllitis scolopendrium

Very original, Phyllitis scolopendrium ‘Cristatum’ grows in long, entire fronds, with a crest on the edges and a notch at the end. This variety looks like a curly, wavy, light green, shiny salad. This fern measures 25 to 40 cm in height, likes shade and partial shade as well as cool soil. It will prove useful for planting in stony soils, even limestone, which it tolerates without worry.

Cyrtomium falcatum

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With its erect, dark green, serrated fronds in broad elongated divisions, Cyrtomium falcatum stands at 60 cm and spreads over 1 m. This fern likes shade, cool, drained soils rich in humus, without limestone, but does not tolerate cold below – 10 ° C. It is also cultivated in pots, to be placed in a protected place.
Cut the leathery fronds: these leaves that look like broad blades work wonders in bouquets.