Blechnum tabulare is a magnificent, architectural hard fern and one of the most striking choices for a shady corner of a hardy exotic garden. Native to the cool, damp mountain forests of southern and tropical Africa, where it grows along stream banks and the margins of afro-montane woodland from the Cape as far north as East Africa, it produces a bold, shuttlecock-like rosette of stiff, leathery, deeply divided fronds in a rich dark green. It grows much like a classic tree fern, slowly building a short, trunk-like base over many years to create an almost tree-fern presence without the tenderness, and is so substantial it is sometimes mistaken for a cycad. Why grow it Among evergreen ferns, few offer this much drama. The fronds are tough and glossy, holding their colour right through the seasons to give year-round structure when the rest of the border has died back. Fresh growth often unfurls with a warm bronze flush before hardening to deep green, and mature plants develop a sculptural, layered rosette that anchors a planting beautifully. It is the kind of hard fern that turns a damp, awkward spot into a lush, jungly feature. Bold evergreen fronds for year-round interest Slowly forms a short, characterful trunk with age Thrives in difficult shade where little else flourishes How and where to grow. Plant in partial or full shade, ideally in a sheltered position out of cold, drying winds. It loves a moist but well-drained, humus-rich soil on the acid to neutral side, so work in plenty of leaf mould or composted bark before planting and keep the roots cool and damp through summer. Reliably hardy across much of the UK to around -8 to -10C, it appreciates a deep winter mulch over the crown in colder or more exposed gardens. Expect it to reach roughly 1m tall and wide, with the trunk developing only over a decade or more, making it one of the more rewarding hardy ferns UK gardeners can grow as a long-term specimen. It settles equally well into a fernery, a woodland edge, a shady courtyard or a large container. Every Blechnum tabulare we send is a strong, well-rooted plant, hand-selected and carefully packed to arrive in peak condition and ready to establish.
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