Pteris cretica ex Azerbaijan

Cretan Brake Pteridaceae

A handsome evergreen brake fern with broad, arching fronds, the pinnate blades divided into several widely spaced, leathery green pinnae. The fertile fronds are particularly elegant, their margins neatly revolute to conceal the linear sori beneath. A widespread species in warm-temperate and subtropical regions, but surprisingly hardy in sheltered British gardens, particularly where given a cool, humus-rich soil and protection from drying winds.

Our plant is ex Azerbaijan, representing the species within the Caucasian portion of its natural range. Pteris cretica occurs naturally across the Transcaucasus, as well as throughout much of the Mediterranean region and eastwards across western and tropical Asia to Japan. Its wider range extends south through Africa and Madagascar and includes numerous Atlantic and Indian Ocean islands. It is found in woodland, scrub, rocky ravines and moist, shaded slopes, often in climates with warm summers but relatively cool winters. 

The species was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1767, published in Mantissa Plantarum 1: 130. The type locality is Crete, from which the specific epithet cretica derives. Despite the name, Crete represents only a small part of a remarkably extensive natural distribution. The accepted name remains Pteris cretica L.; numerous names have subsequently been published within the complex, but there is no need to assign this Azerbaijani collection to one of them without supporting evidence. 

• Hardiness: H5, -15 to -10°C
• Height: 60–90 cm
• Spread: 60–90 cm
• Fronds: evergreen, produced throughout the growing season