Tassel fern gets its name from the way new fronds unfurl, arching backward like little tassels before straightening into glossy, dark green, finely cut foliage. The effect is more polished and formal than most ferns, and clumps build to about 2 feet tall and wide.

It is a shade plant through and through: give it morning-only light or full shade, soil enriched with compost, and steady moisture the first season. After that it is remarkably tough for something so refined, and deer and rabbits ignore it. Pair it with hostas and hellebores under trees where grass gives up.