Dryopteris buschiana, (aka crassirhizoma)

Dryopteris buschiana, (aka crassirhizoma)
Originally uploaded by emagen

Keeping on the fern theme, I've been growing this fern for 3 years and it is really looking good now! (Photo taken today) Known variously as Dryopteris buschiana or Dryopteris crassirhizoma its common name is the 'Thick Stem Wood Fern'.
This fern is now growing to about 3ft high and has a lovely light green colour and grows through the summer with an erect shuttlecock style. In winter it keeps its fronds but they lay down at ground level to protect any offspring, I guess. I believe this fern hails from Asia but it seems to be perfectly hardy here in the UK.
The colour size and shape of this fern makes it seem quite tropical, I grow it in semi-shade amongst other ferns and hostas at the base of a tall Tree Fern. In fact, I will have to cut-back some of its neighbours to give it space.
I have always bought ferns as very young plants (I think that's the only way) and some turn out to be quite boring and difficult to tell apart from basic 'ferns'. Dryopteris buschiana or crassirhizoma has turned out to be a real 'star'.