Pyrrosia hastata is a fern of rocky outcrops in East Asia, where it anchors itself to cliff faces and boulders with short creeping rhizomes, a habit that translates directly to its preferences in cultivation. It is most at home in extremely well-drained conditions, sharper drainage than most ferns ever see, growing in the narrow crevices and tilted pockets where water cannot stand. In zones 8 through 10 it makes an evergreen presence of six to fourteen inches, the fronds thick and distinctly felted, in a garden where few other ferns have the constitution to thrive through summer heat.

Rock gardens and dry stone walls are its natural niches in the cultivated landscape, though a raised bed with a gritty, mineral-rich mix also suits it well. It is deer resistant, essentially pest-free, and unfussy once drainage is provided. Those used to the lush, moisture-hungry character of most ferns may find its stripped-down requirements refreshing, but meeting them is the whole challenge: a site that stays even slightly waterlogged through winter is the quickest way to lose it.