Sorus Plants
Michigan native ferns and woodland wildflowers

Matteuccia struthiopteris
Ostrich fern

Ostrich fern is perhaps the best-known garden fern. Its plumelike fronds are widest near the top and taper gradually to the ground. The fronds form a circular, vase-shaped clump. The plant produces woody, dark fertile fronds that persist throughout the winter and stand up above the snow. The spores are shed in late winter, sometimes even before the last of the snow has melted. The fiddleheads are among the first to emerge in the spring.

Sun: light to full shade
Soil: rich loam or muck, neutral
Moisture: moist to wet
Height: 3-5 feet
Uses: Use as a foundation plant or as a groundcover in a woodland garden. The plants spread by underground runners and quickly form colonies; this characteristic makes the fern useful for wetland restorations, where large areas must be filled quickly, but troublesome in a small garden, where the spreading fern can crowd out other desirable plants. The fiddleheads that emerge in early spring can be harvested and eaten like asparagus.

Home | Plant list | How to buy | Links | Contact us

Sorus Plants Michigan native ferns and woodland wildflowers

Matteuccia struthiopteris Ostrich fern

Sorus Plants
Michigan native ferns and woodland wildflowers

Matteuccia struthiopteris
Ostrich fern