Fern – Ostrich Fern (gallon pot)

Description

Ostrich or Fiddlehead Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) – large, spreading native fern. Can get over 4 feet high. Very tropical with a palm-like feel. Loves cool moist locations. Doesn’t mind brighter spots, especially if there’s plenty of water. Can spread very aggressively – they like to fill fields.

The fiddleheads are a native food source. They should be cooked thoroughly before eating or pickling. Fiddlehead ferns are a good source of vitamins A and C. They are the state vegetable of Vermont!

Very cold tolerant. Zones 2 – 7.

Fronds turn yellow in fall.

Ostrich ferns are native to moist thickets and wooded river bottoms. They are not tolerant of drought or any intense heat or high humidity. Spreads by rhizomes and can be propagated easily by division every few years in the spring. Best planted in big swaths of plants. They enjoy being planted in guilds of native shade plants.

All of our plants and seedlings are grown organically and are timed size-wise and transplanted for optional growth and production.