Dryopteris lepidopoda Jurassic Gold ('Hollasic')
Jurassic Gold fern

Dryopteris lepidopoda Jurassic Gold ('Hollasic')

£13.99
Hardy in the UKShade-tolerant
Pot size
14cm / 1.5L £13.99

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Description

Dryopteris lepidopoda Jurassic Gold ('Hollasic') is a hardy wood fern prized for the colour of its spring growth. The young fronds unfurl in shades of copper, rose-bronze and orange, brighten to gold, then settle to a fresh green as the season goes on. Long sold as Dryopteris wallichiana 'Jurassic Gold', it has since been identified as a form of D. lepidopoda. Where the autumn ferns Dryopteris erythrosora and 'Brilliance' flush coppery red, and Wallich's wood fern opens green, this one brings a warm golden glow to shady corners.

Hardiness and seasons. Rated H5 by the RHS, it is hardy through most of the UK, even in severe winters, to around -15C. It is semi-evergreen: in a sheltered garden some fronds stay on through winter, while in colder spots it dies back and returns in spring. The main display comes as the croziers open in spring, and the golden tones gradually mellow to green over summer.

How and where to grow. Plant it in partial or full shade, out of cold, drying winds. It likes a humus-rich soil that holds moisture but drains freely, and it will grow on chalk, clay, loam or sand. Water regularly through the first season and mulch well; once settled it tolerates dry shade better than many ferns. It forms a neat, tufted shuttlecock around 0.5 to 1m tall and wide, reaching that size in two to five years.

Using it in the garden. The glowing spring fronds lift a shady border, a woodland planting or the foot of a north-facing wall, and they look especially good against dark evergreens and purple-leaved heucheras. It is compact enough for a large container on a shady patio, and it makes a warm-toned partner for the red flush of autumn ferns and the plain green of Wallich's wood fern.

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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 Jurassic Gold fern

Give me sun with a little shade and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

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 Jurassic Gold fern

Dryopteris lepidopoda Jurassic Gold ('Hollasic') needs partial shade or full shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −15°C and stands a UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Exotic Borders Pots & Containers Shade

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

Hardy Exotic (H5): down to around −15°C. Hardy through a cold UK winter.

Hardy through most of the UK, H5 (to around -15C). Semi-evergreen; may die back in a cold winter and reshoot in spring. Read moreShow less

Hardy through most of the UK, H5 (to around -15C). Semi-evergreen; may die back in a cold winter and reshoot in spring.

Position

Partial shadeFull shadeNorth-facingEast-facingSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered
Partial to full shade, sheltered from cold, drying winds. Read moreShow less

Partial to full shade, sheltered from cold, drying winds.

Soil

ChalkClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH
Humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil; chalk, clay, loam or sand. Read moreShow less

Humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil; chalk, clay, loam or sand.

Watering

Water regularly through the first season and mulch well. Once established it tolerates dry shade, though the fronds look best with steady moisture. Read moreShow less

Water regularly through the first season and mulch well. Once established it tolerates dry shade, though the fronds look best with steady moisture.

Mature size

Height0.5 to 1m
Spread0.5 to 1m

Reaches full size in 2 to 5 years

Growth habit

Tufted

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Semi-evergreen

Pruning

Cut away old or winter-damaged fronds at the base in late winter or early spring, before the new golden croziers unfurl. No other pruning is needed.

Toxicity

Not known to be toxic to people or pets. No hazards are recorded by the RHS, but as with any fern the foliage should not be eaten.

Native range

The species is native to the Himalaya, south-central China, Myanmar and Taiwan; Jurassic Gold is a golden-fronded garden selection.

Family

Dryopteridaceae

Also known as

Dryopteris lepidopoda Jurassic Gold ('Hollasic')

Genus

Dryopteris
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Jurassic Gold a Dryopteris wallichiana?

It was introduced, and is still widely sold, as Dryopteris wallichiana 'Jurassic Gold'. Fern specialist Christopher Fraser-Jenkins has since identified it as Dryopteris lepidopoda, and the RHS now lists it under that name. Its cultivar name is 'Hollasic', with Jurassic Gold as the selling name.

What colour are the fronds?

New fronds open in copper, rose-bronze and orange shades, turn bright gold, then mature to green over the summer.

Is Dryopteris Jurassic Gold evergreen?

It is semi-evergreen. Some fronds usually last through winter in a sheltered spot, while in colder gardens it dies back and returns in spring.

Will it grow in dry shade?

Yes, once established. Water it regularly in the first season and mulch well, and after that it copes with drier shade than many ferns.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes. It stays compact enough for a large container in shade. Use a moisture-retentive but free-draining compost and water regularly, as pots dry out faster than open ground.

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

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Dryopteris lepidopoda Jurassic Gold ('Hollasic')
£13.99