The Plant Guide

Browse the Full Plant Guide

Fortune’s holly fern

Cyrtomium fortunei

sir-TOE-mee-um for-TOON-ee-eye Audio

Usually found in moist, rocky areas or woodland in central and eastern Asia, this evergreen fern is deciduous in colder climates. Fronds may be cut to the ground in spring if damaged by dry winter winds. The distinctive fronds make great accents among groundcovers, or in drifts with perennials, shrubs, and trees.

Noteworthy CharacteristicsLeathery 1.5- to 2-foot-long, upright, evergreen, pale green fronds with distinctive, broadly scythe-shaped leaflets.

CareGrow in moderately fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained, neutral to acidic soil. Where marginally hardy, plant in the shelter of a rock and mulch the crown with straw in winter.

PropagationSow spores in late summer. May also be grown from rooted bulbils collected from the base.

ProblemsCommon: fungal spots, root rot, and scale insects.

  • Genus : Cyrtomium
  • Plant Height : 1 to 3 feet
  • Plant Width : 1 to 3 feet
  • Zones : 10, 7, 8, 9
  • Uses : Containers
  • Maintenance : Low
  • Moisture : Medium Moisture
  • Light : Partial Shade to Full Shade
  • Plant Type : Perennials
  • Characteristics : Showy Foliage

Related Plants

Related Articles

More From the Plant Guide

Winter Interest

Partial Shade

Browse the Full Plant Guide