When to plant and prune Soft Shield Fern
Soft Shield Fern is grown for foliage and form rather than flowers and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Soft Shield Fern is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | Prune |
|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| South Coast and Channel | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| South East and Home Counties | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| East Anglia | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| Wales and West Coast | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| Northern England | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| Northern Ireland | late March to early May | early February to early March |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | late March to early May | early February to early March |
Growing notes
A native evergreen fern that gives structure in a shady bed all winter, which the deciduous ferns cannot. Shelter it from strong wind so the soft fronds do not shred.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 80 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 100 cm
- Eventual spread
- 100 cm
- Hardiness
- H7
- Sun
- Shade tolerant
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 20 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 4 out of 5
Pruning: what to avoid
This one keeps its fronds through winter, so do not clear the whole plant. Remove just the collapsed or browned fronds in late winter, and finish before the new croziers begin to unroll.
Pruning group
Evergreen: remove only the tattiest old fronds at the base in late winter before new growth
What usually goes wrong
- frond damage in exposed windy sites
- slugs and snails on new fronds
- rot if crowns are buried too deep or kept waterlogged
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for soft shield fern.