Dryopteris erythrosora 'Brilliance' RHS AGM P9

Dryopteris erythrosora ‘Brilliance’, also known as the autumn fern or copper shield fern, is a hardy fern for shady borders, woodland gardens and shaded containers.

Its finely divided fronds emerge in vivid copper-red tones before maturing to glossy green, forming an evergreen to semi-evergreen clump approximately 60–75cm tall and wide.

Grow in partial or full shade in moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil, with shelter from drying winds.

Awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM), ‘Brilliance’ offers a colourful surprise: its richest ‘autumn’ shades appear with fresh spring growth.

Fern photo by KATHERINE WAGNER-REISS CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons