Male fern
Dryopteris filix-mas
Also called Basket fern
Garden plant · Ferns & palmsAs close to unkillable as a shade plant gets — RHS rates it H7, hardy below -20°C. It dies down in autumn; cut the brown fronds off in late winter and the new croziers come up through the stumps. The rhizome is not food: it was a licensed worm medicine until the dose that worked and the dose that blinded people turned out to be close together.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Every 10 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full or partial shade
- Feed
- Not needed
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Very hardy RHS H7, to -25°C
- Size
- 1.2 m tall · 0.8 m across
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Origin
- Europe, Asia and North America
Is it safe for pets and people?
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
The rhizome, and the fresh fronds.
The rhizome was a licensed worm medicine until it was withdrawn for poisoning — filicin, and thiaminase in the fresh plant. Documented cases include optic damage. Not a plant to eat any part of.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-08-05.
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.
First signs of trouble
- Whole fronds fold down flat from the base in a dry August while the crown itself is still firm — it recovers next spring, but not this one.Drought collapse · disorder