Dryopteris, the largest fern genus, contains by far the greatest number of good garden ferns. They have intriguing common names, including buckler ferns, male ferns and shield ferns.They are all hardy in the UK and, as such, should form an important part of any fern border. Most are deciduous in nature, but one or two are evergreen.

Many Dryopteris have scaly stems (known as stipes) which are dramatically beautiful in spring, when they are unfurling (at this point, they are known as croziers). The fronds are shaped in the way typical of ferns in iconography, largely triangular, with rows of leaflets along the length of the frond. Curiously, in some forms, minute glands on the fronds smell of hay when crushed!

Dryopteris are easy-to-grow plants. To prove this point, you will often see Dryopteris in lists of plants recommended for dry soils or wet soils, and for shady places or sunny places.