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National Fern Collections

At the time of wrinting (Ferbruary 2026) there are 21 UK based national collections specifically focused on ferns. These include specialist cultivar collections, scientific/research collections and broader horticultural and educational collections:

 

These include:

Collection

Collection Type

 

Contact / Location

 

County

Asplenium (Phyllitis) scolopendrium               

 1 species, 37 cultivars 

National Trust - Sizergh Castle                     

 Cumbria                    

 Asplenium scolopendrium cvs.

 1 species, 109 cultivars

Alan Croxford, Gaerwen

 Ynys Môn / Isle of Anglesey

 Asplenium trichomanes cvs.

 2 species, 19 sultivars 

Alan Croxford, Gaerwen

 Ynys Môn / Isle of Anglesey

 Athyrium filix-femina cvs.

 1 species, 53 cultivars 

Ian Unsworth

 Lancashire

 Athyrium filix-femina spp. & cvs.

 1 species, 61 cultivars 

Mr n Schroder,  Haywards Heath

 West Sussex

 Cystopteris

 11 species, 1 cultivar  

 National Trust - Sizergh Castle

 Cumbria

 Dryopteris

 35 species, 43 cultivars

 National Trust - Sizergh Castle

 Cumbria

 Dryopteris

 

 RHS Garden - Harlow Carr

 Yorkshire

 Dryopteris (hardy cultivars)

 

 Canonteign Falls

 Devon

 Dryopteris spp. & hybrids

 

 Mr A C Pigott

 Suffolk

 Ferns (arborescent)

 

 Glasgow Botanic Gardens                             

 City of Glasgow

 Ferns (British native & naturalised introductions)

 Reference collection    

 Alison Evans, Edge Hill University

 Lancashire

 Ferns (hardy)

 411 taxa

 Crown Estate Commissioners - Savill & Valley Gardens

 Berkshire

 Ferns (Polypodiopsida) Native Welsh species

 Reference collection

 Treborth Botanic Garden                             

 Gwynedd

 Matteuccia & Woodwardia

 

 Picton Castle Gardens

 Pembrokeshire              

 Osmunda

 Horticultural collection

 National Trust - Sizergh Castle                     

 Cumbria

 Platycerium spp.

 

Dr Tom Bellamy   

 Berkshire

 Polypodium (hardy cultivars)

 

Julian Reed  

 Kent

 Polypodium (hardy cultivars)

 

 Helen Picton & Ross Barbour

Worcestershire             

 Polystichum

 

 Greencombe Garden Trust

 Somerset

 Polystichum (hardy cultivars)

 

 Canonteign Falls                                    

 Devon       

Osmunda regalis 'cristata' a the National collection at Sizergh Castle