East Indian Holly Fern An unusual and beautiful fern for milder areas, Arachnoides aristata Variegata will light up a partially shady bed or border. It’s an evergreen, clump-forming fern with robust, deep blue-green, heavily divided fronds with a cream to lime-green stripe along the mid-rib and rather finger-like leaflets. Although reasonably hardy in milder areas, it can suffer damage in harsh winters; mulch heavily in winter to protect the roots against frost. Protect the emerging fronds against slugs, although they ignore the mature fronds. East Indian Holly Fern also makes an excellent house-plant. Site: ShelteredSoil: Any reasonably fertile, moist but well-drained, neutral to acidic soilPosition: Partial shadeSeason of interest: All yearHardiness: Not reliably hardyHeight: 20” (50cm) Spread: 16” (40cm)