Formerly sold as but not the same as: Dryopteris cycadina

Dense black sable scales clothe the caudex, stipe and reverse side of the rachis, making the unfurling fiddleheads look like they are covered in tiny black caterpillars. The simply pinnate blade has subdued olive-colored pinnae set off by a darker green prominent mid vein. The relatively lanceolate pinnae taper uniformly to a sharp tip with the margins regularly and coarsely toothed. Some specimens have a distinct undulation to their pinnae that seems common for D. subatrata but not for D. cycadina. This has been offered in the trade under the incorrect species designations of D. atrata and D. hirtipes, and there are at least three distinct populations that we have received under the name of D. cycadina! The current plant being sold as D. cycadina may in fact be D. subatrata according to identification work by Christopher Fraser-Jenkins. We have grown this fern for a long time and believe it is actually Dryopteris subatrata, not Dryopteris cycadina. Even though they are roughly similar varying slightly in pinnae size and marginal details, D. subatrata can generally reach a larger size than D. cycadina.

Frond Condition: Evergreen
Mature Height: 2-3'
Origin: Eastern Asia
Cultural Requirements:  Some Shade, Partly Shaded, Full Shade, Evenly Moist, Slightly Moist
USDA Zones: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10