King of the Male Ferns
(Dryopteris affinis 'Cristata the King')

Mature specimens of this cultivar are a people magnet in the garden. This is a splendidly symmetrical cultivar in which the shapely crests help weight the frond in a sinuous arc. The whole frond lies on a single plane with the with the pinnae tips and apex crests fanning out along the same axis. This cultivar is often confused in the trade with D. filix-mas "Cristata' forms but mature specimens are easily sorted by the darkened spot near the juncture of the pinnae to the center rachis and the even symmetry of the pinnules. This fine crested form found in Cormwall was considered by Victorian growers as the template of perfect cresting by which all other male fern cultivars were judged. Many Dryopteris affinis and filix-mas forms cultivated under glasshouse conditions were trained up into small tree fern like specimens.

Frond Condition:	Semi-evergreen
Mature Height:	3-4'
Origin
Cultural Requirements	Some Shade, Full Shade, Partly Shaded, Evenly Moist, Slightly Moist
USDA Zone	5,6,7,8,9
Notes	England
Price