Hard fern (Blechnum spicant)
Other names deer fern
At a glance
- Exposure
- Full sun
- Frost limit
- −28.9 °C
Cultivation
A calcifuge plant. A polymorphic and very ornamental species. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.
Propagation
Spores - best sown as soon as they are ripe on the surface of a humus-rich sterilized soil. Keep the compost moist, preferably by putting a plastic bag over the pot. Pot on small clumps of plantlets as soon as they are large enough to handle and keep humid until they are well established. Overwinter for the first year in a greenhouse and plant outside in late spring or early summer. Division in spring or autumn. Larger divisions can be planted straight into their permanent positions whilst smaller clumps are best potted up and kept in a cold frame until they are growing away well.
Edible uses
Root - cooked. An emergency food, used when all else fails. Young shoots (often called croziers) - cooked.
Medicinal uses
The leaflets have been chewed in the treatment of internal cancer, lung disorders and stomach problems. The fronds are used externally as a medicine for skin sores. A decoction of the root has been used in the treatment of diarrhoea.
Material uses
A good ground cover plant.
Habitat
Woods, heaths, moors, mountain grassland and on rocks, to 1200 metres.
Native range
Most of Europe, including Britain, N. Africa, Japan, Western N. America.