Hard fern
Blechnum spicant
Also called Deer fern
Garden plant · Ferns & palmsIt makes two kinds of frond at once — a flat rosette of broad ones lying down and a few narrow upright ones in the middle. Nothing else in a British wood does that.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Every 5 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full to partial shade
- Feed
- Not needed
- Humidity
- Average to high
- Hardiness
- Hardy — a very cold winter RHS H6, to -20°C
- Size
- 0.3 m tall · 0.3 m across
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Origin
- Europe, western Asia and North America
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-11. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.