The male-fern is a large, clump-forming fern that is common in woodlands, hedgerows and ditches throughout the UK. Fresh green fronds unfurl from scaly, brown, underground rhizomes that push through the soil in mid-spring. These grow in height in the summer to form impressive stands, but will die back later in the year. Male-ferns are hardy plants and can survive in quite dry conditions, so are ideal for gardens - plant them in shade or borders for attractive, natural cover.
How to identify
The male-fern is one of a number of similar species, including buckler-ferns and Lady-fern, which are difficult to tell apart. Male-fern fronds are separated into tapering leaflets, deeply divided and coming out from the main stem in opposite pairs.
Did you know?
Male-ferns are one of the food plants of the angle shades moth caterpillar; adults can be seen from May to October and look like crumpled leaves.
