Osmunda regalis - Royal Fern - Plant in 9 cm Pot

Ferns are a delight for any garden that can provide their basic requirements. They fill that space that few other plants will thrive in and at the same time bring colour and form to please. A rich, always moist but free draining, neutral or acid soil, with plenty of organic matter, in a shady location is ideal. A small amount of sun early or late in the day will not harm but may darken the colour of the foliage. The form and texture of Osmunda regalis are unique and have been granted the RHS Award of Garden Merit. The fronds are cut twice into large rounded leaflets, resulting in foliage that resembles that of the pea family. Delicate, bright green fronds, often with a silvery cast, are crowned with golden, fruiting pinnae on wine-coloured petioles. Fronds grow up to 1.2 mtrs in height and often 0.5 Mtrs. in width. Rootstock are elevated up to 150mm above the soil surface, with black roots extending deep into the subsoil. Will grow in full sun to full shade in most fertile, constantly moist or wet soils. Will tolerate chalky soils. An exceptional specimen plant. Ferns can be grown very successfully in pots and containers as long as you can reproduce the basic requirements, and especially the need for constant moisture. Use a good quality neutral or acid (ericaceous) peat or peat substitute compost. Be very careful with cheap peat free composts that often dry out very quickly. Ferns generally require a constant feed of nutrients so please ensure you feed regularly as a hungry plant is a poor performer. We recommend Osmoscote pro 8 - 9 month applied in the early spring as growth begins. One application gives all the nutrients the plant requires. Please note: The images we use are designed to show the features that the plant is usually appreciated for. They are not representative of the size of plant you will receive. The size of the plant pot can be found in the listing title. Please send us a message if you have any queries.