Arachniodes simpliciorEast Indian Holly Fern

The Arachniodes simplicior is a hardy, leathery-fronded fern from the woodlands of China and Japan, distinguished by the pale yellow-green band that runs along the centre of each pinna in the widely grown variegated form. Fronds are triangular, glossy and stiff enough to hold their shape in a planted mass.

It is a shade specialist. Under a canopy or on the north side of a building it will hold a clean evergreen cover at 0.4 to 0.6 metres with almost no intervention.

Specifications

• Height0.4 to 0.6 metres
• Width0.5 to 0.8 metres, spreading slowly by rhizome
• Native toEastern Asia, in China, Japan and Korea
• FoliageLeathery, glossy, triangular fronds, often with a pale central band along each pinna; evergreen
• Growth rateSlow to moderate

Conditions

• SoilPrefers moist, humus-rich, free-draining soils
• LightPartial shade to full shade
• WaterModerate; needs consistent moisture and will not tolerate drying out
• ClimateThrives in warm temperate and subtropical regions with shade and humidity

Additional Features

• UsesShaded groundlayers, woodland underplanting, courtyard beds and shaded planters
• SpacingPlant 0.4 to 0.5 metres apart for a closed cover
• Low MaintenanceCut away tired fronds at the end of winter; nothing else is needed
• Pest ResistanceGenerally untroubled; slug damage is the only common complaint
• FormNeat, spreading, evenly textured, holding a consistent height across a mass
• VersatilityReliable in the deep shade where most groundcovers thin out

The East Indian Holly Fern is the dependable answer for evergreen cover in difficult shade.