The perfect perennial for shady spots, this fabulous fern bears beautiful, finely dissected fronds that resemble the fluffy tail plum-age of its namesake bird.

Ferns for Zone 8 include Staghorn, Boston, Wood, Ostrich, Fiddlehead, Maidenhair, Japanese, and Sword Ferns.

It also makes a stunning element in a fresh flower bouquet. Zone: 3 to 7 Height: 3.00 to 6.00 feet Spread: 5.00 to 8.00 feet ... commonly called ostrich fern, is a clump-forming, upright to arching, rhizomatous, deciduous fern which typically grows 2-3' tall in cultivation, but may reach 6' tall in moist, cool climates in the wild. A wooded area, the north side of a building or a shady riverbank or pond side are ideal locations for the plant. Mature height: Three to six feet (with a spread of near equal size) Bloom season: Non-flowering. Cinnamon Fern. It was in May… Q. Ostrich Fern - Something seems to be eating my ostrich fern. Roots are spreading, and plants can form quite a large patch in time.

Spreads slowly by underground stems. Hardy planting zone: USDA plant hardiness zones 3-7. There are several varieties of ferns that can add beauty to your home. The tall fern, also known simply as the ostrich fern, prefers moist, even boggy, soil. Like most ferns, this one prefers a cool, moist spot and will spread and thrive in any wet, shady area of the garden. It prefers very moist soil. I live in northern Ontario, Canada.

It does best in naturally cool climates and suffers when grown in humid, southern U.S. regions.

In spring the numerous fiddleheads of emerging foliage can also be picked for a snack as the ostrich fern is edible. Unfurling in a fiddlehead shape, it gets its name from the open plumes that resemble ostrich feathers.

This edible fern has fertile fronds that arise 6 to 12 inches in the center of the clump around midsummer, turning brown by fall. An herbaceous perennial.
Plants form a large, upright clump of big green fronds. On the stem of an ostrich fern, fine white hair is visible. Ostrich Fern, with its tall, vase-shaped form, is ideal for wet woodland or shade gardens. Well-appointed woodland gardens should reserve plenty of room for fancy fronds, and the Ostrich Fern is one of the all time best. On Feb 17, 2007, Cretaceous from El Sobrante, CA (Zone 9b) wrote: This fern has thrived here in zone 9b, growing against the wall of the house where it is shaded from the full sun.

You will find these ferns as charming tropical looking fern for specimen use. Placed on tree limbs. It also tolerates climates as extreme as USDA hardiness zones 1 to 9. A staple plant of the American woodland garden, the ostrich fern boasts stately, large upright fronds that look like ostrich plumes.

Ostrich fern – Hardy to zone 4, this fern has tall, 3- to 4-foot fronds that resemble the feathers of which earn the plant its name.

They are dramatic for foliage backdrops, foundation and boundary plantings, naturalizing and fresh arrangements. Matteucia struthiopteris (Ostrich Fern, Fiddlehead Fern); Zone 1-9 This very hardy native fern, reaching 3-4′ in height, develops fronds that provide fiddleheads in the spring. The Ostrich Fern is a grand, native plant from the Eastern American woodlands. It is easy to grow and can become invasive but will form a good groundcover.

You can distinguish ostrich fern from other fern plants by looking at its distinctive, fertile frond.

Although this plant likes moist humus-rich soil in shade, it will tolerate sun if in a moist, cool location. One of the most common native ferns, growing all over northern regions. This perennials graceful, light green leaves add texture and movement.

Matteuccia, named in honor of C. Matteucci (1800-1868), an Italian physicist. struthiopteris, from the Greek, strouqeios (stroutheios), "of an ostrich", and pteris (pteris), "fern" Common Name, from the resemblance of the fronds to the plumes of the large flightless bird of Africa. What remedy would you recommend? A notably graceful plant. In spring the unfurling fiddleheads are often harvested in the wild as a gourmet treat.


It is found in deciduous moist soil and also in mixed forests, wooded river bottoms and in swamp soil as well but it prefers acidic soil. Ostrich fern prefers zones 2 to 8 and moist soil, especially when planted in full sun. Ostrich Fern: USDA Zone: 2-9: Plant number: 9.045.050. Synonyms/Also Sold As: Fiddlehead Fern, Ostrich Fern, Giant Ostrich Fern, King Ostrich Fern, Matteucia Struthiopteris 'Jumbo', Matteucia struthiopteris 'King' Please note: Ostrich Ferns are deciduous and may be dormant or preparing to go dormant if shipped in the fall.