Polystichum setiferum Plumosum Bevis - Soft Shield Fern

Polystichum setiferum Plumosum Bevis is a cultivar of Polystichum with very remarkable bristles, discovered in 1876 in a hedge in Devon, England by an individual named Bevis. It is an ornamental fern that is as easy to acclimatise in our gardens as its wild ancestor, also known as the Soft Shield Fern in our forests, often planted in gardens. 'Plumosum Bevis' clearly surpasses it in elegance with its longer fronds, which seem braided at the tips before they unfurl. Its intensely divided foliage, soft and smooth to the touch, evokes vibrant green feathers. It is a robust, hardy and mostly evergreen plant in winter. It will thrive in shaded areas, in any humus-rich, well-drained soil, and even even soil that is quite dry in summer.

Polystichum setiferum, formerly known as Polystichum angulare, is a botanical species native to Great Britain and Western Europe, especially the southern regions, as well as temperate Asia and North Africa. Its natural habitat consists of woods and shaded ravines. It is a perennial plant of the Dryopteridaceae family, the origin of more than 300 cultivars, more or less differentiated. The 'Plumosum Bevis' cultivar shows rather slow growth, especially in the first few years. The plant forms a slightly spreading tuft, with an upright habit, reaching a height of 80 cm (32 in) to 1 m (3 ft) and a width of about 70 cm (28 in). The young croziers that emerge in spring are brown, and then they unfurl revealing silvery and sparkling scales. The young fronds are very upright, and then they slightly arch as they unfurl. Their lamina, widened in the centre, is divided into 30 to 40 pairs of pinnate pinnules, oriented upwards, slender, and covered with bristles that give them a shiny appearance. The petiole of each frond is very scaly and brown. The colour of the foliage changes from acid-green with golden reflections to a darker green.

The polystichums make up a very varied and particularly decorative genus throughout the year for most species and varieties. Polystichum setiferum Plumosum Bevis is a plant that adapts to many shaded situations, in well-drained soil. Its large feathery and silky fronds that emerge from the shade invite touch, along a shaded path. In the undergrowth, it can be associated with simple and undemanding plants such as butcher's broom, hollies, Mahonias or lamiums. This fern also pairs well with bamboo, shrubby fuchsias, nandinas, and hostas. Ferns are always beautiful at the edge of water features or in large shaded rockeries.