Matteuccia orientalis

Family: Polypodiaceae

What it is like

Matteuccia orientalis is a FERN growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.6 m (2ft in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Height (m): 0.6

Where it is found

Not known

E. Asia - China, Japan, Himalayas.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 1

Young shoots - cooked. A famine food, used when all else fails.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating:

How it is grown

Requires a moist but well-drained position and light shade. It grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers a pH between 5 and 6.5. Plants are hardy to about -20°c. Plants have an invasive root system and can send up suckers some distance from the main clump. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer. Fertile fronds are produced after the first flush of vegetative fronds and persist throughout the following winter. The spores are shed in mid-winter.

Propagating it: Spores - surface sow as soon as they are ripe in mid-winter and keep the soil moist. It is best to keep the pot in a sealed plastic bag to hold in the moisture. Pot up small clumps of the young plants as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow on in light shade until large enough to plant out. Division during the dormant season between October and March. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;

Habit: Fern

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Although we have found no reports of toxicity for this species, a number of ferns contain carcinogens so some caution is advisable. Many ferns also contain thiaminase, an enzyme that robs the body of its vitamin B complex. In small quantities this enzyme will do no harm to people eating an adequate diet that is rich in vitamin B, though large quantities can cause severe health problems. The enzyme is destroyed by heat or thorough drying, so cooking the plant will remove the thiaminase.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Onoclea orientale. Pterinodes orientale. Struthiopteris orientalis.