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Fern ID please. This deciduous specimen is hardy and about 50cm tall. It is in its second year. I'd be grateful if anyone can tell me what it is. And also, how big can I expect it to get to? Is it already at its full height? I've had it as a house plant but wish to move it to a shady and very wind sheltered spot outdoors. It doesn't like wind as the slightest breeze makes it flap about.



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Answers

 

Looks like Osmunda Regalis, Royal Fern, to me. Have a look at this pic.
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/mon.jardin.promenade/osmunda.regalis.jpg

It can grow up to 2m high in ideal conditions

29 Jun, 2010

 

Bertie, It's not an Osmunda I'm afraid, I have masses of them here are the arrangement of the leaflets is very different from those in the pic....

I do recognise this plant, I've seen it growing as an escapee in Madeira, but I can't for the life of me remember what it is......not very helpful I'm sorry to say !

29 Jun, 2010

 

I don't want it to get any bigger than this. I am hoping it is full grown.

29 Jun, 2010

 

There's several growing in the forest around here with very similar leaf shapes, so perhaps I'm wrongly identifying them all as o.r.
Will be interested to hear what this is when someone positively identifies it.

29 Jun, 2010

 

Somebody help me and Bertie.

29 Jun, 2010

 

I'm reasonably sure that it's Onoclea sensibilis - which I should have remembered since we have it growing here in the garden! The fronds are highly variable as to the degree of incision/dissection, but are also quite distinctive. The individual fronds can be quite large - to 3 feet or so, but the plant itself has a rhizomatous, slightly creeping nature, so never gets very substantial.

29 Jun, 2010

 

Looks like the Onoclea sensibilis to me, judging from :

http://www.deq.state.mi.us/pw/images/Onosen.htm_txt_Onosen.gif

Well done Ilex.

Looks like a very interesting plant. I see a French nursery jardindupicvert.com sells it, and it looks as if it would be a good plant for a shady pondside. I shall order one now!

29 Jun, 2010

 

Thank you gentlemen very much. I wonder why 'Sensibilis'? Must be a sensible fern and not a silly one.

29 Jun, 2010

 

Bertie: It is a lovely thing, we have a clump growing away happily in quite deep shade beneath an Acer palmatum.

Jonathan: the name actually means "sensitive" and comes from the observation by early American settlers that it was very sensitive to frost, the fronds dying off as son as they were touched by it, despite the fact that the plant itself is perfectly hardy.

I do like it when the name of a plant has a good story to tell :-)

29 Jun, 2010

 

Makes good sense.

29 Jun, 2010

How do I say thanks?

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