Japanese tassel fern

Polystichum polyblepharum (Dryopteridaceae) is a semi-evergreen to evergreen fern native to Japan, China, and Korea. It grows 1.5 to 2 feet tall, producing glossy, twice-pinnate fronds that emerge in spring as tightly coiled fiddleheads with golden-brown scales. The mature fronds have an unusually high gloss for a fern.

Japanese tassel fern grows in part shade to shade on moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil. It is one of the most ornamental and well-behaved ferns for temperate gardens. No significant pest or disease problems are documented. The common name refers to the tassel-like fiddleheads. Hardy in Zones 5 to 8.