Dryopteris dilatata 'Lepidota Cristata' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Dryopteris dilatata 'Lepidota Cristata' — 11cm / 0.75L
Crested Broad Buckler Fern

Dryopteris dilatata 'Lepidota Cristata'

£6.99
Very hardyShade-tolerantRHS award winner
Pot size
11cm / 0.75L £6.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

Complete the set up
Description

Dryopteris dilatata 'Lepidota Cristata' is the broad buckler fern redrawn in lace. Every frond is finely divided into narrow segments, and every frond tip and side branch ends in a neat crest, so the whole rosette reads like a mound of dark green parsley. It is a celebrated selection of a British native fern and holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Older catalogues sell it as Dryopteris austriaca; that name is a synonym of dilatata, and this is the same plant.

Hardiness and seasons. Rated H6 by the RHS, hardy anywhere in the UK to around -20C. Semi-evergreen: the rosette often holds into winter in milder gardens, and reddish-scaled croziers rebuild it fully each spring. It reaches its mature size fast, in 2 to 5 years.

In the garden. Compact at around 45cm, so it fits where bigger ferns cannot: shaded pots, the front of shade plantings and underplanting between larger exotic border plants. Give it humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in part shade and it asks for nothing more than a spring tidy.

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.

Find out more

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.

Best quality plants guaranteed
7 day live arrival guarantee
Delivered to your door with care
Earn 34 points with this plant · 5 points per £1 Join free

How to care for Crested Broad Buckler Fern

Plant me in full sun 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.
Get to know me

About Crested Broad Buckler Fern

Dryopteris dilatata 'Lepidota Cristata' needs full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is very hardy, standing the coldest UK winters outdoors.

Good for

Exotic Borders Pots & Containers Shade

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H6 · Hardy Exotic · down to around −20°C

RHS H6 (-20 to -15C): fully hardy anywhere in the UK, in the ground or in a pot, with no winter protection needed. See what to expect from outdoor plants.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeNorth-facingEast-facingSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered

Partial shade is ideal, any aspect; it tolerates full sun only with constant root moisture. A sheltered spot keeps the lacy fronds unmarked by wind.

Soil

ClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

Humus-rich clay, loam or sand, acid to alkaline, moist but well-drained. Work in leaf mould at planting and mulch each spring.

Watering

Water through the first season and mulch annually with leaf mould; established clumps need little attention beyond a spring tidy. Read moreShow less

Water through the first season and mulch annually with leaf mould; established clumps need little attention beyond a spring tidy.

Mature size

HeightAround 0.45m, eventually to 0.6m (RHS band 0.5 to 1m is generous for this compact crested form; nurseries consistently say 30 to 45cm)
Spread0.1 to 0.5m (RHS)

Reaches full size in 2 to 5 years

Growth habit

Clump-forming

Flowering

Does not flower: a fern, producing a rosette of crested, finely divided, lacy dark green fronds, each frond tip and pinna tip tasselled like sprigs of parsley

Foliage

Semi-evergreen

Pruning

No pruning: tidy away old or tattered fronds in late winter or early spring before the new croziers unfurl, so the crested rosette reads cleanly.

Toxicity

No RHS toxicity warning on the cultivar page, and Dryopteris is not on the RHS potentially harmful garden plants list. Not for consumption; no specific child or pet hazard listed by the RHS.

Native range

Garden selection of a British native fern; the species ranges from the Azores to Mongolia

Family

Dryopteridaceae

Also known as

Dryopteris dilatata 'Lepidota Cristata'

Genus

Dryopteris
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dryopteris dilatata 'Lepidota Cristata' evergreen?

Semi-evergreen. In mild gardens the lacy rosette stands well into winter; in cold ones the fronds collapse after hard frost. Either way the crown is fully hardy and throws a complete new flush of crested fronds every spring.

How hardy is the crested broad buckler fern?

RHS H6, around -20C, so it is fully hardy in every part of the UK including cold inland gardens, with no protection needed even in a container. It is a selection of a fern native to British woodlands, and it behaves like one.

How big does it grow?

Around 45cm tall and wide, reached quickly in 2 to 5 years, eventually nearer 60cm in rich ground. That compact scale is the point: all the texture of a buckler fern at half the footprint, ideal for pots and the front of shade borders.

Is Dryopteris austriaca the same as Dryopteris dilatata?

Yes. Dryopteris austriaca is an older name now treated as a synonym of Dryopteris dilatata, the broad buckler fern, and some nurseries still label this cultivar under it. Whichever name is on the label, 'Lepidota Cristata' is the same AGM plant.

Can I grow a crested buckler fern in a pot?

It is one of the best ferns for the job. Use a peat-free compost with added leaf mould or bark, keep it evenly moist, and stand the pot in shade or morning sun. Being H6 it can stay outside in its pot all winter.

What is the difference between 'Lepidota Cristata' and 'Crispa Whiteside'?

'Crispa Whiteside' has wavy, crisped frond edges but no crests. 'Lepidota Cristata' is both finely divided and crested: each frond and pinna tip ends in a little tassel, giving the parsley-like texture that made it famous. If the tips are tasselled, it is this one.

Are your plants treated with pesticides?
We aim to avoid using pesticides where possible, but we can't control the whole supply chain.

If the plant is going into a vivarium, terrarium or aquarium with live animals, rinse the leaves and roots well, remove any soil and let the plant dry out before adding it. We'd also suggest keeping it away from animals for a month first.
Can I see a photo of the exact plant I'll receive?
We're not able to send photos of individual plants or let you choose a specific one, as plants are selected by our team when your order is packed. Our photos show the variety and the kind of plant you can expect, and yours may vary a little in height, shape or fullness.

If a size has a code next to it, such as 9cm / B2, you're buying the exact plant pictured.
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 7 days 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.

Verified reviews

Rated by real customers

You may also like

We recommend
Dryopteris dilatata 'Lepidota Cristata'
£6.99