Close-up of Dryopteris erythrosora fronds changing from copper-orange to green

Dryopteris erythrosora with green fronds and copper-red new growth in a nursery pot

Dryopteris erythrosora with bright green fronds and bronze new growth in an orange nursery pot

Dryopteris erythrosora with upright copper fronds rising above green foliage

Close-up of Dryopteris erythrosora showing copper-orange young fronds above green foliage

Dryopteris erythrosora with arching green fronds and upright copper new growth

Full Dryopteris erythrosora with green fronds and copper tips in a light nursery pot

Compact Dryopteris erythrosora with layered green and copper fronds

Dryopteridaceae

Dryopteris erythrosora

Autumn Fern

5 for 4

Dryopteris erythrosora opens copper, bronze and soft pink fronds that mature to glossy green. The finely divided fronds form a compact clump.

Read full guide to Dryopteris erythrosora

€10,75

VAT included · plus

Choose a size

M Pot Ø 12 cm · approx. 30 cm tall

Variant

Sizes are approximate. Height is measured from the bottom of the pot to the top of the plant; diameter at the widest point.

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Care at a glance

Dryopteris erythrosora

Light

Medium indirect • approx. 5,000–10,000 lux

Watering

Water when ~10–20% dry

Substrate

Moisture-retentive but aerated • Evenly moist • Organic-leaning • Fine-medium

Temperature

Ideal: 5–24 °C • Avoid below: -10 °C

Humidity

High 60–80% +

Growth habit

Upright clumping terrestrial fern.

Support

not needed

Growth speed

Average

Cultivated size guide

Height: 60 cm • Spread: 60 cm

Toxicity & safety

Pet safety unconfirmed

Origin & habitat

Native from China to temperate East Asia

Outdoor growing

Outside from 5 °C · outdoors once established

How to read these values

These care values give practical guidance for growing the plant. Adjust care for pot size, substrate, temperature and how quickly the substrate dries.

For more detail, read the full product description or visit our Plant Care Guides.

Light: level and approximate lux at leaf level.
Watering: “% dry” shows how far the substrate should dry before watering again.
Substrate: structure, drainage, moisture retention, base material and particle size.
Temperature: “Ideal” shows the preferred range; “Avoid below” marks the cold-stress threshold.
Humidity: target range; steady conditions usually matter more than exact numbers.

Growth habit: how the plant grows, such as upright, climbing, trailing, clumping or rosette-forming.
Support: whether a stake, pole or trellis is needed, optional or unnecessary.
Growth speed: expected pace under suitable growing conditions; use as a guide, not a promise.

Cultivated size guide: approximate dimensions for an established plant in the stated growing context. Height is measured upwards from the growing surface; foliage height excludes flower stems. Trailing length follows a stem, while foliage drop is the vertical distance from the crown to the lowest leaf tips. Spread is the width of the leafy plant or crown, not an individual leaf. Flowering height includes the flower stems. A container guide applies to pot-grown plants; an in-ground guide applies to plants rooted in the ground. Size also depends on age, conditions, pot space and training.

These figures do not describe the size supplied and are not fixed upper limits.

Toxicity & safety: irritation, toxicity or physical hazards such as spines or bristles.
Origin & habitat: native range, hybrid background or typical habitat where relevant.
Outdoor growing: when a potted indoor plant can be placed outside and what outdoor protection it needs.

Dryopteris erythrosora

New fronds rise upright from the centre before opening and arching outward. Their copper and bronze tones gradually deepen to green, so fresh and mature fronds can appear together in the same crown.

The finely divided leaflets give each frond a soft, feathery look. The clump becomes fuller as new fronds emerge from the expanding underground stem.

Fronds and growth of Dryopteris erythrosora

Forms a compact clump from a short underground stem.
New fronds continue to emerge from the centre as the crown develops.
Mature fronds arch outward around the crown.
Mature fronds may carry rounded spore clusters beneath the leaflets.

Origin & background

Botanical identity and natural origin of Dryopteris erythrosora

Dryopteris erythrosora is native to temperate East Asia, including China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the Nansei-shoto islands. It is widely known as the autumn fern or copper shield fern, names inspired by the warm colours of its fresh fronds.

Plant care

Care for Dryopteris erythrosora as a container fern

Light: Give medium to bright diffuse light. Gentle direct sun is suitable, especially early or late in the day.
Temperature: Maintain roughly 5–24 °C. Keep it in a position with gentle airflow. For container care, protect the plant from prolonged temperatures below about −10 °C.
Humidity: Aim for 60–80% humidity while soil moisture stays steady. In heated rooms, raise humidity around the plant.
Water: Keep the soil consistently moist while new fronds are forming. Water when the surface starts to dry and let excess water drain.
Potting mix: Use a rich, airy mix that holds moisture and drains freely.
Feeding: Apply a dilute balanced fertiliser every 4–6 weeks while new fronds are opening. When growth slows, stop feeding until it picks up again.
Repotting and propagation: Move to a larger pot when roots fill the container and need more space. If the mix becomes compacted before then, replace it while keeping the pot appropriately sized. Established clumps can be divided during repotting, keeping roots and a growing crown on each section.
Grooming: Cut fully brown or damaged fronds close to the crown with clean scissors.

Issues & solutions

Frond and crown health of Dryopteris erythrosora

Frond tips turn crisp and brown: The soil has dried too far or hot, dry air is reaching the foliage. Water evenly and move the fern away from heaters or harsh direct sun.
Pale tan patches appear on exposed fronds: Strong direct light has scorched the leaf tissue. Move the plant into filtered light and leave healthy green tissue in place.
Several fronds yellow and the crown becomes soft or dark: Prolonged wetness has caused rot. Cut rotten tissue back to firm healthy tissue with a clean tool and discard it, then repot the healthy crown in fresh airy mix.

Safety

Keep Dryopteris erythrosora away from children and pets

Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
Its effects after chewing or swallowing are unclear, and plant material can still cause an upset stomach.
Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop or do not settle.

Names & etymology

How did Dryopteris erythrosora get its name?

Dryopteris combines Greek drys, meaning oak, with pteris, meaning fern. The epithet erythrosora combines Greek erythros, red, with soros, a spore heap, and refers to the red sori or their coverings.

Michel Adanson established the genus Dryopteris in 1763 in Familles des plantes, volume 2, pages 20 and 551.

Daniel Cady Eaton first described it as Aspidium erythrosorum in 1857 in Narrative of the Expedition of an American Squadron to the China Seas and Japan, volume 2, page 330. Carl Ernst Otto Kuntze later placed it in Dryopteris as Dryopteris erythrosora in 1891 in Revisio Generum Plantarum, volume 2, page 812.

Plant names, growth habits, natural habitats and indoor care guidance are checked against trusted botanical, habitat and horticultural references before publication.View our plant care resources and references.

Dryopteris erythrosora

€10,75