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Woodwardia unigemmata
Jewelled chain fern is an evergreen fern native to wet, high-rainfall areas across Asia and New Guinea, grown for its tall, architectural fronds that emerge red and turn green. Its key to success is a sheltered spot and consistently moist, well-cultivated soil.
Woodwardia unigemmata is a species of evergreen fern in the family Aspleniaceae. It is sometimes referred to by the common name jewelled chain fern. It is native to Assam, China (North-Central, South-Central, and Southeast), East and West Himalaya, Japan, Java, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, Pakistan, the Philippines, Taiwan, Tibet, and Vietnam. Growing to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) tall by 2.5 m (8.2 ft) broad, it bears pinnately-divided fronds which emerge red and turn green when mature. It occurs in areas of high rainfall.
This plant is grown as an ornamental, and in the UK has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. It is an imposing architectural subject which is thought to be hardy down to −10 °C (14 °F). However it requires a sheltered position in well-cultivated, reliably moist soil.
Giant chainfern · Woodwardia prolifera · Rooting chainfern · Chainfern
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Woodwardia unigemmata by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
