Ferns

Ferns have been around for a long, long time. We’re talking hundreds of millions of years. They're the tough guys of the woodland world. You’ve got to be pretty hardcore to withstand a mass extinction event like the one that wiped out the dinosaurs, after all... Our growers have an incredible eight RHS gold medals and over sixty years of experience to their name, so you know that you’ll only get the very best.

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  • Premium Fern Collection | 6 x 9 cm Pots Pond Plants
    £45
    £45

    Premium Fern Collection

    The perfect collection of stylish ferns

    • Zone 1 - Pondside
    • Brings a range of texture to your space
    • A variety of complementary colours
    • Ideal for damp ground and shady borders

    1 option available

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  • 3 Japanese Painted Fern | Athyrium niponicum metallicum | 9cm Pots Pond Plants
    £23
    £23

    Japanese Painted Fern | Athyrium niponicum metallicum

    Year-round texture and interest

    • Zone 1 - Pondside
    • Colour changing foliage
    • Blue, green, maroon and silver tones
    • Adds interest to shady borders, ponds or woodland gardens

    1 option available

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  • Painted Lady Fern | Athyrium Niponicum 'Pictum' Perennial Bedding
    £8
    £8

    Painted Lady Fern | Athyrium Niponicum 'Pictum'

    Award winning foliage, flushed with silver

    • Grey-green fronds with a silver and purple shimmer
    • Ideal for a shady patio or woodland border
    • Long lasting, fully hardy foliage
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit

    1 option available

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  • 3 Japanese Tassel Ferns | 9 cm Pots Pond Plants
    £23
    £23

    Japanese Tassel Ferns

    Fresh colours all year round

    • Zone 1 - Pondside
    • Unfurling foliage looks like tassels
    • Dark green fronds
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    1 option available

    Trustpilot

  • Growers' Talk

    Woodland Garden Design Guide

    Read More
  • 3 Eared Lady Fern | Athyrium otophorum okanum | 9cm Pots Pond Plants
    £23
    £23

    Eared Lady Fern | Athyrium otophorum okanum

    Unique colour combination

    • Zone 1 - Pondside
    • Arching foliage
    • Yellow and green with purple midribs
    • Brightens a shady border

    1 option available

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  • Woodland Fern Collection Perennial Bedding
    From £20
    £24 From £20

    Woodland Fern Collection

    Primal-feeling forest ferns

    • Includes a variety of distinct fern plants
    • Ideal for shady borders and woodland gardens
    • Colours to contrast and complement
    • A range of textures for maximum interest

    Currently out of stock

  • 3 Lady Fern | Athyrium filix femina | 9cm Pots Pond Plants
    £23
    £23

    Lady Fern | Athyrium filix femina

    An elegant deciduous fern

    • Zone 1 - Pondside
    • Delicate lacy foliage
    • The brightest green
    • British native fern, perfect cover for wildlife

    Currently out of stock

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    Plants for a perfect pond

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  • Autumn Fern | Dryopteris Erythrosora 'Koidzumiana' Perennial Bedding
    £8
    £8

    Autumn Fern | Dryopteris erythrosora 'Koidzumiana'

    Autumnal shades all year round

    • Fronds turn through red, orange, copper and gold before maturing to green
    • Grow in pots or a shady woodland border
    • Compact and neat form, growing to 50x50cm
    • Easy to grow, with no pruning needed

    Currently out of stock

  • Athyrium Metallicum Pond Plants
    From £8
    From £8

    Japanese Painted Fern | Athyrium metallicum

    Year-round texture and interest

    • Adds interest to shady borders, ponds or woodland gardens
    • An elegant colour-changing fern
    • Blue, green, maroon and silver tones
    • Standout choice for adding texture and interest

    Currently out of stock

  • Crested Wood Fern | Cristata The King Perennial Bedding
    From £8
    From £8

    Crested Wood Fern | 'Cristata The King'

    Regal fern, majestic presence

    • Adds interest to shady borders, ponds or woodland gardens
    • Arching fronds with crested tips
    • Rich green
    • Create a sense of enchantment

    Currently out of stock

  • Herrenhausen Fern | Polystichum Herrenhausen Perennial Bedding
    From £8
    From £8

    Herrenhausen Fern | Polystichum herrenhausen

    Timeless beauty, striking presence

    • Adds interest to shady borders, ponds or woodland gardens
    • Arching fronds with finely toothed leaflets
    • Dark green glossy foliage
    • Dramatic architectural form

    Currently out of stock

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    Discover more woodland plants

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  • Common Polypodium Fern | Polypodium vulgare Perennial Bedding
    £8
    £8

    Native Evergreen Fern | Polypodium vulgare

    UK native fern that stays fresh all year round

    • Lush green fronds dotted with distinctive spores
    • Perfect for shady borders and woodland gardens
    • A fully hardy, drought tolerant evergreen
    • Pest and disease proof

    Currently out of stock

  • Polystichum rigens Perennial Plants
    From £8
    From £8

    Rigid Shield Fern | Polystichum rigens

    Architectural form, rugged beauty

    • Adds interest to shady borders, ponds or woodland gardens
    • Rigid, leathery foliage with overlapping leaflets
    • Bold, dark green fronds
    • Tolerant of drier conditions

    Currently out of stock

  • Athyrium filix femina Pond Plants
    From £8
    From £8

    Lady Fern | Athyrium filix femina

    An elegant, lacy, native fern

    • Adds interest to shady borders, ponds or woodland gardens
    • Feathery arching fronds
    • Soft green
    • Easy to grow deciduous fern

    Currently out of stock

  • Autumn Fern | Dryopteris erythrosora Perennial Bedding
    From £8
    From £8

    Autumn Fern | Dryopteris erythrosora

    Captivating seasonal foliage

    • Adds interest to shady borders, ponds or woodland gardens
    • Classic fern form
    • Fronds emerge coppery-red, maturing to deep green
    • Stunning colour transformation

    Currently out of stock

  • Tassel Fern | Polystichum polyblepharum Perennial Bedding
    £15
    £15

    Tassel Fern | Polystichum polyblepharum

    Tassel-like elegance in green

    • Adds interest to shady borders, ponds or woodland gardens
    • Foliage forms a cascade of tassels
    • Lush dark green fronds
    • Tolerant of drier conditions

    Currently out of stock

  • Fragile Fern | Dryopteris lepidopoda Perennial Bedding
    From £8
    From £8

    Fragile Fern | Dryopteris lepidopoda

    Delicate grace in every leaf

    • Adds interest to shady borders, ponds or woodland gardens
    • Finely divided fronds and lacy foliage
    • Lime green
    • Airy texture

    Currently out of stock

  • Lace Fern | Dryopteris Linearis Polydactila Perennial Bedding
    From £8
    From £8

    Lace Fern | Dryopteris Linearis Polydactila

    Lace-like texture, stunning form

    • Adds interest to shady borders, ponds or woodland gardens
    • Lacy foliage
    • Vibrant green
    • British native fern, perfect cover for wildlife

    Currently out of stock

  • Soft Shield Fern | Polystichum Plumosum Densum Perennial Bedding
    From £8
    From £8

    Soft Shield Fern | Polystichum Plumosum Densum

    Soft and lush, a textured delight

    • Adds interest to shady borders, ponds or woodland gardens
    • Feathery fronds create a fluffy look
    • Bright green to boost shady spots
    • Tolerant of drier conditions

    Currently out of stock

  • Alpine Wood Fern | Dryopteris Wallichiana 'Jurassic Gold' Perennial Bedding
    £8
    £8

    Alpine Wood Fern | Dryopteris Wallichiana 'Jurassic Gold'

    Straight outta Dorset

    • Fronds emerge golden orange and mature to green
    • Show off in patio pots or use to underplant trees
    • Fully hardy and disease resistant
    • Discovered on the Jurassic coast

    Currently out of stock

  • Dryopteris filix mas Perennial Plants
    From £8
    From £8

    Male Fern | Dryopteris Filix Mas

    Robust and timeless greenery

    • Adds interest to shady borders, ponds or woodland gardens
    • Upright arching fronds
    • Vibrant green
    • Happy in many soil conditions

    Currently out of stock

  • Common Polypody | Polypodium vulgare
    From £10
    From £10

    Common Polypody | Polypodium vulgare

    Resilient greenery for any space

    • Adds interest to shady borders, ponds or woodland gardens
    • Leathery fronds with lobed leaflets
    • Bright green to boost shady spots
    • Perfect for groundcover

    Currently out of stock

  • Autumn Fern | Dryopteris erythrosora 'Brilliance' Perennial Bedding
    £8
    £8

    Autumn Fern | Dryopteris erythrosora 'Brilliance'

    Glorious copper fronds

    • Happy in full sun to full shade
    • Ideal for woodland gardens and shaded borders
    • Colour-changing evergreen foliage
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    Currently out of stock

  • Polypodium vulgare Perennial Plants
    £15
    £15

    Common Polypody | Polypodium vulgare

    Resilient greenery for any space

    • Adds interest to shady borders, ponds or woodland gardens
    • Leathery fronds with lobed leaflets
    • Bright green to boost shady spots
    • Perfect for groundcover

    Currently out of stock

Hereford

Meet Jack

Perennials born in Herefordshire, blooming in your garden

Our perennials start life in the rolling Herefordshire hills, where Jack and his team trial over 250 new varieties each year to bring you the best performing and most sustainable plants in the UK. With over forty years of excellence, it’s no surprise that they’ve won the HTA Plant Grower of the Year award two years running.

Need help picking?

Which fern?

Which fern?

The first thing to think about is whether you want a fern with pinnate, divided fronds or undivided fronds. Another thing to consider is the size of your fern; some ferns can grow to heights of almost two metres, whilst others grow low to the ground. Do you want a UK native fern? If so, may we point you towards the Common Polypody and Hart’s Tongue. If you’re looking to create more of a globally-influenced garden, then the Japanese Painted Fern and the Tassel Fern are both good choices.

Planting schemes and partners

Planting schemes and partners

Ferns are low-maintenance, non-flowering plants that provide a “frondly” face in the shadier spots of your garden. Primarily woodland plants, ferns do well in partial to full shade, with a preference for dappled light. Ferns love a moist, well-draining and nutrient-rich soil that’s brimming with organic goodness. You’ll want to water your ferns often during their first year in the ground, but beyond that, you’ll only need to water them in prolonged dry, hot spells or when the topsoil feels dry to the touch.

Growing tips

Growing tips

Ferns are low-maintenance, non-flowering plants that provide a “frondly” face in the shadier spots of your garden. Primarily woodland plants, ferns do well in partial to full shade, with a preference for dappled light. Ferns love a moist, well-draining and nutrient-rich soil that’s brimming with organic goodness. You’ll want to water your ferns often during their first year in the ground, but beyond that, you’ll only need to water them in prolonged dry, hot spells or when the topsoil feels dry to the touch.

Happy plants make happy customers

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Ornamental Colour Collection Pond Plants
five star rating on Trustpilot

Plants arrived in great condition and very promptly. Well established - much better than the ones I got at my local garden centre.

Monica Spence

| 24 May
Star Jasmine | Trachelospermum jasminoides Climbing Plants
five star rating on Trustpilot

Yet again this company delivered good healthy plants, exactly as shown in photos, well packaged and within delivery time quoted. Recommend!

Jacqueline Burgess

| 2 Jun
five star rating on Trustpilot

I continue to be so impressed with Roots. Their customer care, knowledge of their subject: from planting hedges to pruning roses and more, has been a great support.

Judy Lane

| 23 Oct
E 'Black Hamburgh' Indoor Grape Vine Soft Fruit
five star rating on Trustpilot

The plant arrived looking vigorously healthy, which brings a smile to your face, extremely well protected in its packaging.

Martyn Hill

| 5 Jul
E 'Braeburn Hillwell' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
five star rating on Trustpilot

As a non-gardener, I found my whole experience brilliant. Great information & advice available on the website, great range of products & prices are brilliant.

John-Paul

| 22 May
five star rating on Trustpilot

Wonderful plants and great customer service... really surprised to find that the plants are better than those you would get at your local garden centre.

Gavin Wilcock

| 8 Nov

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