About Dryopteris dilatata (Hoffm.) A.Gray
Dryopteris dilatata, commonly known as the broad buckler-fern, is a robust fern species in the family Dryopteridaceae. It is deciduous or semievergreen, and is native to Europe, especially western and central Europe; in southern Europe, it occurs mostly in mountainous areas. It can also be found in the region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. This fern grows up to 90 cm (35 in) tall and 120 cm (47 in) wide, and produces dark green tripinnate fronds whose ribs are covered in brown scales. Its Latin specific epithet dilatata translates to "spread out". The species itself, along with its cultivars 'Crispa Whiteside' and 'Lepidota Cristata', have been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
