Product specifications and features

Product Description

Asplenium 'Angustatum' - Hart's Tongue Fern, Pond Edge & Border Plant

Asplenium scolopendrium 'Angustatum' is a narrow-leaved form of the UK native hart's tongue fern, and holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. It forms a compact rosette of narrow, glossy, bright green, strap-shaped fronds with ruffled edges that stay green all year.

'Angustatum' at a glance

Botanical name Asplenium scolopendrium 'Angustatum' (syn. Phyllitis scolopendrium)
Common name Hart's tongue fern
Plant type Evergreen fern; does not flower
Height and spread Up to about 45 cm tall, 10–50 cm wide
Flowers None – a fern; spores form under the fronds
Position Part shade or shade
Soil Moist but well-drained, humus-rich soil with added grit; neutral to alkaline
Pond depth None – not for wet or waterlogged ground
Hardiness RHS H6 – hardy in a very cold winter (-20 to -15°C)
Native to Garden form of the UK native hart's tongue fern

Is hart's tongue fern a bog plant?

No. It is a shade fern for moist but well-drained soil, not a bog or water plant, and the RHS recommends adding grit. It suits a shady, moist spot near a pond, but keep it well above the water line and out of waterlogged ground.

Where to plant it

  • Shady borders and woodland gardens
  • Shady banks and walls, where it grows in the wild
  • A shady pond surround, well above the water line

How to care for it

It is generally pest-free outdoors, though a rust fungus may affect it in mild, damp winters.

Which size should I buy?

Bare-root plants (7 cm, 9 cm, 1 litre and 3 litre) arrive without a pot or compost and are the most economical way to plant a group. Potted plants (9 cm, 1 litre and 3 litre) arrive growing in our peat-free compost and give a faster display. Packs of 3 come in 7 cm, 9 cm, 1 litre and 3 litre bare-root sizes and cost less per plant. The 2x Pot & Compost option is two plants supplied with pots and compost.