Blechnum spicant Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Deer Fern

Blechnum spicant

£14.29 £16.99 SAVE 15%
Very hardyShade-tolerantEvergreenRHS award winner
Pot size
17cm / 2L £14.29

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Description

Blechnum spicant, the deer fern or hard fern, is one of our most handsome native ferns and a natural fit for a Hardy Exotics planting with a wild, woodland feel. It forms neat rosettes of leathery, deep green fronds and carries a striking party trick: it produces two distinct frond types. Spreading, ladder-like sterile fronds lie close to the ground, while taller, narrower fertile fronds rise stiffly from the centre, giving the clump real architectural interest.

This is a fern that earns its place all year. As a fully evergreen, clump-forming perennial it holds its dark, glossy foliage right through winter, providing structure and texture when little else is performing. It pairs beautifully with hostas, hellebores, woodland bulbs and other shade-lovers, and looks especially at home along a shady path, beside a pond, or threaded through a fernery.

How and where to grow Blechnum spicant in the UK

The deer fern thrives in partial to full shade, in moist but well-drained, acidic to neutral soil rich in leaf mould. It dislikes lime and prolonged drought, so choose a sheltered, north, east or west-facing spot and keep the roots cool and damp. Mulch in spring with leaf mould or composted bark to lock in moisture. Reliably hardy across the country, the hard fern uk gardeners prize needs no winter protection and shrugs off cold that would defeat more tender exotics.

  • Eventual size: a compact clump roughly 50cm tall and wide
  • Position: partial or full shade, sheltered from drying wind
  • Soil: moist, humus-rich, acid to neutral; ericaceous compost in pots
  • Care: low-maintenance; simply remove tired fronds in spring

It also makes an excellent container fern for a shaded patio, and is happy in a woodland border, rockery or the damp banks of a stream. With no reported toxicity to people or pets, it is a relaxed choice for family gardens. Every Blechnum spicant we send out is a strong, well-rooted plant, carefully grown and ready to establish quickly in its new home.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Deer Fern

Give me sun with a little shade and the coldest UK winters do not worry me.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Deer Fern

Blechnum spicant needs partial shade or full shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is very hardy, standing the coldest UK winters outdoors.

Good for

Pots & Containers Shade

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

Hardy Exotic (H6): down to around −20°C. Hardy through a very cold winter.

Fully hardy (RHS H6), evergreen. A British native deer fern — reliable and low-maintenance. Read moreShow less

Fully hardy (RHS H6), evergreen. A British native deer fern — reliable and low-maintenance.

Position

Partial shadeFull shadeNorth-facingEast-facingWest-facingSheltered
Partial to full shade. Dislikes hot, dry sun. Read moreShow less

Partial to full shade. Dislikes hot, dry sun.

Soil

ClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedAcid pHNeutral pH
Moist, humus-rich, neutral to acidic soil. Add leaf mould. Read moreShow less

Moist, humus-rich, neutral to acidic soil. Add leaf mould.

Watering

Keep moist, especially while establishing; tolerant once settled in shade. Read moreShow less

Keep moist, especially while establishing; tolerant once settled in shade.

Mature size

Height30–50 cm
Spread30–60 cm

Reaches full size in 2-5 years

Growth habit

Clump-forming

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

Evergreen, so keep the fronds over winter. Cut back old or damaged fronds at the base in early spring as the new flush emerges.

Toxicity

No reported toxicity to people or pets.

Native range

Europe, W. Asia, N. America

Family

Blechnaceae

Also known as

Blechnum spicant

Genus

Blechnum
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Blechnum spicant hardy enough to survive a UK winter?

Yes. The deer fern is fully hardy throughout the UK (RHS H6, tolerating around -20C) and is in fact native to British woodlands. It needs no winter protection and holds its fronds through the cold months.

Does it prefer sun or shade?

It is a true shade-lover, thriving in partial to full shade. Give it a position out of harsh midday sun and drying winds, much like the damp woodland floor it grows on in the wild.

Is the hard fern evergreen?

Yes. Blechnum spicant is evergreen, keeping its leathery dark green fronds all year round, which makes it valuable for winter structure in shady borders.

How big does it get and how quickly?

It is a compact, clump-forming fern, reaching roughly 50cm tall and wide over 2-5 years. Its slow, tidy growth makes it easy to place in smaller gardens.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes. It does well in a container of acidic, free-draining but moisture-retentive compost (ericaceous works well). Keep the pot in shade and never let the compost dry out completely.

Is it safe around pets and children?

Blechnum spicant has no reported toxicity to people or pets, making it a reassuring choice for family and garden settings.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Why Grow Tropicals

Plants delivered the way they deserve

Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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£14.29 £16.99