Description

Large, bright green, vase-shaped fern; sterile fronds turn yellow in autumn. Fiddleheads appear in spring, coated in tannish fur, and evolve into cinnamon-colored fertile fronds.

The fuzz which covers the young fiddleheads is a favorite nesting material for birds.

Grows taller in wetter conditions.

Height: 2-3 ft.
Spread: 2-3 ft.
Spreads by: spores
Family: Osmundaceae
Sun: part shade to full shade
Water: medium to wet
Deer and rabbit resistant

Ferns prefer well-drained soil high in organic matter. Most ferns require a moist, shady spot to grow. Many need plenty of moisture during the growing season and should be given an inch or more of water per week if not supplied by rains. Mulch with leaves or aged hardwood bark in the spring and fall. Fern foliage provides food for many butterflies and moths during their caterpillar stage.

photo credit: David J. Stang