Soft shield fern facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Soft shield fern
Scientific classification
Genus:	Polystichum
Species:	setiferum

The soft shield fern (also known as Polystichum setiferum) is a beautiful plant. It is a type of fern that stays green all year round, or sometimes loses some leaves in winter. This fern naturally grows in southern and western Europe. Its stems and the main veins of its leaves are covered with pretty, reddish-brown scales. The scientific name setiferum comes from Latin and means "with bristles," which describes its look.

Where the Soft Shield Fern Grows

This fern is very common in places like Ireland, southwestern Great Britain, western France, and northwest Spain. It loves these areas because they have mild winters and wet summers. You can also find it in other places, from northern Scotland all the way to Crimea and Turkey. In warmer Mediterranean areas, it usually grows high up in the mountains. It often lives in forests, especially on hillsides.

What the Soft Shield Fern Looks Like

Close-up of new leaf

The soft shield fern has bright green leaves, called fronds. These fronds are usually between 30 and 120 centimeters (about 1 to 4 feet) long. They often hang downwards. A grown fern usually has about four to ten fronds.

The fronds feel soft. They are "bipinnate," which means they are divided twice, like a feather. Smaller, younger ferns might have fronds that are only divided once. The smaller leaf parts, called pinnae, grow opposite each other on the stem. Each pinna is about 4 to 14 centimeters long. At the bottom of each pinna, there is a larger leaflet pointing upwards. The other leaflets get smaller towards the tip. These small leaflets have soft, bristly tips.

The fronds stay green and fresh for about nine to fifteen months. Even after they dry up, they stay attached to the plant's underground stem, called a rhizome.

How the Fern Reproduces

On the underside of the leaflets, you can see small, round spots called sori. These sori grow in two rows on each side of the leaflet's main vein. Each sorus is covered by a small, umbrella-like shield called an indusium, which has fringed edges. These sori produce light yellow spores, which are like tiny seeds that help the fern make new plants.

Growing Soft Shield Ferns in Gardens

People often plant the soft shield fern in their gardens because it is a beautiful ornamental plant. There are many different types, or "cultivars," of this fern. Over 300 different kinds have been described! However, most of them are not grown anymore, or they are too similar to other types to have their own special name.

Some popular types of soft shield fern have won awards, like the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. These include:

• Divisilobum Group
  • ‘Divisilobum Densum’
  • ‘Divisilobum Iveryanum’
  • ‘Herrenhausen’
• Plumosomultilobum Group

See also

In Spanish: Polystichum setiferum para niños