Royal Fern, Flowering Fern
Osmunda regalis
Family: Osmundaceae
What it is like
Form: Irregular or sprawling, Spreading or horizontal, Upright or erect.
Osmunda regalis is a FERN growing to 2 m (6ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 2. The seeds ripen from June to August. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil.
Height (m): 2
Where it is found
Swampy areas, fens and damp woodland.
Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to N. Africa, Asia, N. and S. America.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Medicine
Rating: 2
The root is astringent, diuretic, tonic and vulnerary. It is useful in the treatment of jaundice and removing obstructions of the viscera. The fronds are used to make compresses for external application to wounds and rheumatic joints - for which purposes they are fairly effective. An infusion of the fronds, combined with wild ginger roots (Asarum species) has been used in the treatment of children with convulsions caused by intestinal worms.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Vulnerary: Promotes the healing of wounds.
Other
Rating:
The hairs of the plant are mixed with wool and are used in making cloth. The roots are the source of 'Osmunda fibre', this was once widely used for potting orchids and other epiphytes. Plants can be grown as a ground cover when spaced about 1 metre apart each way.
Compost: Plants used for activating compost heaps, providing biomass for composting, using as instant compost etc.
Fibre: Used for making cloth, rope, paper etc.
Ground cover: Ground Cover
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Border, Container, Ground cover, Rock garden, Specimen, Woodland garden. An easily grown plant, it prefers a soil of swamp mud and loamy or fibrous peat, sand and loam. Succeeds in most moist soils, preferring acid conditions. Requires a constant supply of water, doing well by ponds, streams etc. Plants thrive in full sun so long as there is no shortage of moisture in the soil and also in shady situations beneath shrubs etc. Plants are hardy to at least -20°c, they are evergreen in warm winter areas but deciduous elsewhere. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer. Transplants well, even when quite large. Some named forms have been selected for their ornamental value. Special Features:Attractive foliage, North American native, Naturalizing, Wetlands plant, There are no flowers or blooms.
Propagating it: Spores - they very quickly lose their viability (within 3 days) and are best sown as soon as they are ripe on the surface of a humus-rich sterilized soil in a lightly shaded place in a greenhouse. Keep the compost moist, preferably by putting a plastic bag over the pot. Plants develop very rapidly, pot on small clumps of plantlets as soon as they are large enough to handle and keep humid until they are well established. Do not plant outside until the ferns are at least 2 years old. Cultivars usually come true to type. Division of the rootstock in the dormant season. This is a very strenuous exercise due to the mass of wiry roots.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Ground Cover; Bog Garden;
Habit: Fern
Hardiness: 4-9
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist, wet
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.