Ostrich Fern
Matteuccia pensylvanica

Family: Polypodiaceae

What it is like

Matteuccia pensylvanica is a FERN growing to 0.6 m (2ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 2. The seeds ripen from August to October. 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.

Height (m): 0.6

Where it is found

Rich woods, often in alluvial or mucky swamp soils from sea level to elevations of 1500 metres

Eastern N. America - C. Alaska to Dakota.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Young fronds - raw or cooked. Used before they fully unroll, they are thick and succulent. Sometimes sold in speciality markets according to some reports, whilst another says that they are a famine food that is only used when all else fails. Rootstock - peeled and roasted.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating:

How it is grown

Requires a moist but well-drained position and light shade. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Dislikes full sun, the leaves turning yellow and burning in such a situation. Prefers a pH between 5 and 6.5. Hardy to about -20°c. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer. This species is included in O. struthiopteris by most botanists, but it is slightly different. A very ornamental plant, it establishes rapidly. It has a short rhizome but produces long stolons, by which it spreads rapidly once established, and it can be invasive. Fertile fronds are produced after the first flush of vegetative fronds and persist throughout the following winter. The spores are shed in mid-winter. Grown commercially for its decorative fronds. These fronds are also available as a food from speciality markets. Plants can be forced in the winter to provide an early supply of the young shoots.

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:

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

M. struthiopteris pensylvanica. (Willd.)Morton. Struthiopteris pensylvanica.