Hard Fern, Deer fern
Blechnum spicant

Family: Blechnaceae

What it is like

Blechnum spicant is an evergreen Fern growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in leaf all year, and the seeds ripen from June to August. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 0.3

Where it is found

Woods, heaths, moors, mountain grassland and on rocks, to 1200 metres.

Most of Europe, including Britain, N. Africa, Japan, Western N. America.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Root - cooked. An emergency food, used when all else fails. Young shoots (often called croziers) - cooked. The young tender stems can be peeled and the centre portion eaten. An emergency food, it is only used when all else fails. It is also chewed to alleviate thirst on long journeys.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicine

Rating: 1

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.

Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.

Cancer: Used in the treatment of cancer.

Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.

Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.

Other

Rating: 3

A good ground cover plant. Relatively slow growing but succeeding in the dense shade of trees.

Ground cover: Ground Cover

How it is grown

A calcifuge plant, it prefers a moist shady nook in the rock garden or a position in open woodland in a moist soil. Succeeds in quite dense tree shade if the soil is moist. Prefers a moist position and a northerly aspect but succeeds in sun and in clay soils. A polymorphic and very ornamental species, there are several named varieties. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.

Propagating it: 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.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; not Deep Shade; Ground Cover;

Habit: Fern

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth: Slow

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Full shade, semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Although we have found no reports of toxicity for this species, a number of ferns contain carcinogens so some caution is advisable. Many ferns also contain thiaminase, an enzyme that robs the body of its vitamin B complex. In small quantities this enzyme will do no harm to people eating an adequate diet that is rich in vitamin B, though large quantities can cause severe health problems. The enzyme is destroyed by heat or thorough drying, so cooking the plant will remove the thiaminase.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Lomaria spicant.