Tassel Fern
Polystichum polyblepharum
- Stay Protected with Plant Sentry ™
Tassel Fern - Premium #1 Container is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry is designed to protect both consumers and the nursery trade from invasive plant pests and diseases. Sites that display the Plant Sentry protection badge are protected from consumers buying and nurseries shipping material carrying invasive pests and diseases.
This proprietary eCommerce software prevents the shipment of a restricted plant to each state. The Plant Sentry system includes a shipment certification program. The Plant Sentry Compliance Officer works closely with NatureHills.com and each nursery or fulfillment center to ensure only compliant plants are sold to customers.
Click Here to learn more

Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
Shipping
To obtain a more accurate shipment time-frame, simply enter your zip code in the “Find Your Growing Zone” box to the right. Our plants are grown all over the country and lead time on items may be different because of this. Once your order is placed, you will also receive the specific shipment time-frame information as part of your order confirmation. Once an item ships, you will receive shipment notification and tracking numbers, so you can follow along while your plant travels to your doorstep. We use FedEx, UPS, or USPS at our discretion.
Due to winter weather we have put a hold on shipping to the areas shown below in grey. You can still order now and we will ship the plant to you during an appropriate time for your zone.
Standard Shipping Rates
At Nature Hills we handle, package and ship the products you order with the utmost care to ensure healthy delivery. Shipping and handling charges are calculated based on the tables below. Please note that some items include an additional handling surcharge, these will be noted on the item's product page.
From | To | S&H |
---|---|---|
$0 | $19.99 | $24.99 |
$20 | $49.99 | $29.99 |
$50 | $69.99 | $34.99 |
$70 | $99.99 | $39.99 |
$100 | $129.99 | $44.99 |
$130 | $149.99 | $48.99 |
$150 | $150+ | Approx 28% |
Click here to see our full rates
Understanding Plant Options
Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:
- Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
- Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements
Container Plant Sizes
Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.
Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2" x 2" x 3" | 0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts | 0.20 - 0.23 dry liters |
4" Container | 0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts | 0.35 - 0.96 dry liters |
4.5" Container | 0.65 dry quarts | 0.72 dry liters |
6" Container | 1.4 dry quarts | 1.59 dry liters |
1 Quart | 1 dry quart | 1.1 dry liters |
5.5" Container | 1.89 dry quarts | 2.08 dry liters |
Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2 Quart | 2 dry quarts | 2.2 dry liters |
#1 Container | 2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts | 2.49 - 4.11 dry liters |
5" x 5" x 12" | 3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts | 3.85 - 4.74 dry liters |
Mature Plants (2-4 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#2 Container | 1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons | 5.24 - 7.75 dry liters |
#3 Container | 2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons | 8.14 - 12.16 dry liters |
Large Plants (3-5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#5 Container | 2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons | 12.86 - 20.35 dry liters |
#6 Container | 5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons | 23.12 - 26.42 dry liters |
#7 Container | 5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons | 26.34 - 28.76 dry liters |
Bare Root Plants
Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.
Common Sizes:
- Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
- Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet
Important Notes
Container Volume Specifications
- Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
- Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
- Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents
Growing Conditions
- Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
- Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
- Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment
Seasonal Availability
- Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
- Container plants are available throughout the growing season
- Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes
Questions?
For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.
Plant Highlights
Tassel Fern highlights at a glance!
Specifications
Specifications
-
Botanical Name
-
Growing Zones
-
Mature Height
-
Mature Spread
-
Sun ExposureFull Shade, Partial Shade
-
Moisture
-
Soil
-
Growth RateMedium
-
Fall Color
-
Pruning Time

Growing Zones 6-8
Dramatically tall and sturdy fronds in a traditional symmetrical form and shape! The Tassel Fern (Polystichum polyblepharum) is a picture-perfect Fern! The strapping foliage and lush olive-green fronds, coupled with the uniform appearance of this Fern are an amazingly lush groundcover.
The lance-shaped leaves and fine golden hairs that cover these dark-green fronds give the entire plant a whimsical, woodland garden glen feel! With a stand-out profile and a soothing presence in the garden, the Tassel Fern has golden brown stems and a slightly fuzzy appearance. The finely-toothed blades and overlapping pinnae leaves are further divided into smaller leaflets, giving each frond a lacy look!
Forming a gorgeous upright vase shape, these slower-growing Ferns are amazing to watch as the hairy fiddleheads unfurl. Creating a lush and soothing demeanor that commands the dappled shade throughout USDA planting zones 5 to 8, these two-foot tall and wide perennial Ferns are highly adaptable!
Planting and Application:
Happily rambling en masse through your wooded edges and under the wide arms of large trees and shrubs. Tassel Fern are amazing understory plants that fill your shade beds and borders with powerful green height and width, without over-taking their companion plantings.
Stoutly anchoring dim corners or as a specimen plant, Tassel Fern will be a verdant center of attention! Plant as an accent around your water feature or Rain Gardens where it can soak up the moisture!
Looking both ornate and primordial, this modest Fern is a phenomenal backdrop for shade perennials. Sized wonderfully for shaded window boxes and containers as a filler, backdrop, and spiller.
Add serenity to screened patios and porches, and shady sides of your home or outdoor structures. Shaded balconies and gazebos receive a designer's touch with these skirting around the perimeter.
Just the finishing touch you need for soft fringing around the shaded trunks of large trees and shrubs, Tassel Fern will bask in their welcome shade while acting as a facer plant to hide those bare stems.
Easily holding back soil as erosion control on shady slopes, Tassel Fern carpets areas in lush greenery and its hardy nature is suitable for Rock Gardens and defining borders.
- Symmetrical, Sturdy Finely-Divided Fronds
- Deep Olive-Green Luxurious Color
- Golden-Brown Fuzz & Hairs Add Texture
- Uniform Vase-Shaped Form & Thick Growing, Textural Foliage
- Lush Groundcover & Erosion Control
#ProPlantTips for Care:
Tassel Fern, like most Fern, does need part shade to full shade locations. Afternoon shade especially when in the warmer of its growing zones 6 through 8.
Be sure to water regularly and keep the soil consistently moist, especially during the heat. However, Ferns are very tolerant of humidity. Happy as long as they are in well-drained soils. Add Nature Hills Root Booster during planting, because the symbiotic ingredients work non-stop over the life of the plant.
Requiring consistently moist soil, even tolerating soggy soil, Ferns do well as long as the soil drains well and doesn't have long-term standing water. Preferring it on the acidic side and organically rich and humusy.
Once established, Tassel Ferns are partly drought tolerant, but for best results and health, be sure to provide supplemental watering in times of drought. A generous layer of mulch helps retain soil moisture as well as insulate the root system from heat and chill. These evergreen Ferns clumps may be divided in spring, but this is seldom required. Though enjoying to spread, they're easily controlled and cared for.
Prune only if needed in late winter or early spring, and be sure to remove dead fronds each fall to eliminate hiding spots for slugs. Deer and rabbits generally leave Tassel Fern alone!
- Full Shade & Part Shade
- Loves Wet Sites & Moisture
- Well-Drained Soil & Acid-Soil Tolerant
- Deer & Rabbit Resistant
- Easy Care & Low Maintenance
Lustrous character and shade-loving greenery, add the robust, luxurious texture and color for a soothing garden retreat with Ferns like Tassel Fern! You'll enjoy its robust, hardy benefits year-round! Order yours from Nature Hills Nursery today!