Matteuccia struthiopteris
Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) is the source of the early spring culinary delicacy fiddleheads.
Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) has been made famous by New Brunswickers who collect the young emerging fiddleheads in early spring as a culinary delicacy. Boil or sautee and apply a healthy amount of butter (but don’t eat them raw). It is also a tall, stately, ornamental fern with carefully positioned fronds forming an elegant upward-facing cone. It grows across Canada (and around the northern hemisphere) and is hardy to zone 1b! Some web sites say zone 2 but I’ve seen it growing a half zone colder in northern Saskatchewan! Ostrich fern will eventually spread by underground rhizomes to form lush colonies.
Common Name: Ostrich Fern - [Citrus Pre-Order]
Family: Dryopteridaceae (The Wood Fern Family)
Zone Hardiness: 1
Light: Full Shade Part Shade
Height: 3-4’
Width: 2-3'
Primary Bloom Colour: Green
Secondary Bloom Colour: Green
Class: Deciduous
Type: Perennial
Bloom Time: Spring
Soil Moisture: Moist, Average, Wet
Stem Colour:
Fragrance: No
Berries:
Benefits:
Deer Resistant: Yes
BC Native: Yes
Native Habitat: Moist to wet sandy or silty banks of rivers and streams and alluvial forests in lowland and montane zones.
Award:
Geographical Origin:
