Leaf

Fernando Losada Rodríguez, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Hard fern

Blechnum spicant (L.) Roth

Also known as: Deer fern

Family: Blechnaceae

20 to 50 cm

Acid, damp woodland, shady banks

Flowering: Does not flower — reproduces by spores

Part shade

Shade

Hardy to -15°C

❓ How do you recognise this plant?

The only common fern to bear two clearly distinct forms of frond on the same plant: sterile fronds lying flat, fertile fronds upright.

🍃 Leaves

Two distinct types of frond: sterile ones spreading on the ground, fertile ones upright and narrower

🌸 Flowers

No flowers: continuous sori along the whole length of the upright fertile fronds

🍎 Fruits

No fruits — spores contained in the sori

🪵 Bark

Short rootstock, no woody stem

🗺️ Distribution

Europe, mainly Atlantic and mountain regions; localised in France to acid, damp soils (Brittany, Massif Central, mountains)

🐝 Value for pollinators

Fern reproducing by spores, with no flowers and no interest for pollinators

✂️ Horticultural uses

Used in damp, acid woodland, along a shady path or in a cool rock garden

ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.

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