Plant DetailShow Menu

Rigid Buckler Fern Dryopteris villarii

Phonetic Spelling
dry-OP-ter-iss vil-LAR-ee-aye
Description

Partial shade; creeping rhizomes.  If found in the wild on limestone cliffs so prefers alkaline soils but is well-adapted to any soil type.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Relatively problem free.

VIDEO Created by NC State Extension's Homegrown series featuring Mark Weathington, Director of JC Raulston Arboretum.

More information on Dryopteris.

Profile Video:
See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#deciduous#shade garden#fern#deer resistant
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#deciduous#shade garden#fern#deer resistant
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Dryopteris
    Species:
    villarii
    Family:
    Polypodiaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Central & South Europe
    Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
    This plant is seldom damaged by deer.
    Dimensions:
    Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 4 in.
    Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Fern
    Herbaceous Perennial
    Perennial
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Habit/Form:
    Erect
    Growth Rate:
    Medium
    Maintenance:
    Low
    Texture:
    Fine
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    High Organic Matter
    Loam (Silt)
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Alkaline (>8.0)
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Occasionally Wet
    Available Space To Plant:
    12 inches-3 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Description:
    No fruits. This plants reproduces via spores.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Description:
    No flowers.
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Leaf Color:
    Gray/Silver
    Green
    Leaf Feel:
    Rough
    Leaf Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Leaf Type:
    Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
    Fronds
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Other/more complex
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    > 6 inches
    Leaf Description:
    8 in., gray-green fronds on short brown stems
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Description:
    Short and brown
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Naturalized Area
    Small Space
    Woodland
    Design Feature:
    Accent
    Border
    Mass Planting
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Rabbits