King of the Male Ferns (Dryopteris affinis 'Cristata The King')
dry-OP-ter-iss af-FIN-iss kris-TAH-tah The King'

Semi-Evergreen Perennial Upright, Vase-Shaped Clump in the Dryopteridaceae Family
This crested selection of Golden Shield Fern fans each frond tip into a dense, ladder-like crest.

Dryopteris affinis ‘Cristata The King’ is a crested (cristate) selection of the Golden Shield Fern, holder of the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Its fronds and individual pinnae end in fan-like, crested tips, giving the whole frond a distinctive ladder-like silhouette on top of the species’ typical golden-scaled new growth.

No breeder or introduction date is documented for this selection in available sources; it is sold today as an established, award-winning garden cultivar.

Pros

  • Distinctive crested, fan-tipped frond shape
  • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
  • Shares parent species’ golden-scaled new growth

Cons

  • Slow to reach full size
  • Breeding/origin history not documented
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 3 - 5 feet tall. 3 - 5 feet wide.
Growth Rate Medium
Sun Exposure Full Shade - Partial Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium
Zones 4a - 8b (Usually hardy to -30° F)
Tags Deer Resistant, Full Shade, Medium, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial
Bloom Period Non-flowering
Flower Color Non-Flowering
 

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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2024 : 07/02 - 09/08
2023 : 07/19 - 09/10

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!