Ostrich Fern
Matteuccia struthiopteris
Bold vase-shaped fronds to five feet with edible spring fiddleheads. Colonizes moist shade into the defining structure of the space.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The most dramatic native fern. 4-5 feet of vase-shaped architecture in moist shade, plus edible fiddleheads in spring.
Ostrich Fern is the bold, architectural fern: tall, vase-shaped, and unmistakably dramatic. The large, upright fronds flare outward from a central crown in the classic vase form that makes it look like a sculptural element, not just a plant. In full leaf, a mature clump reaches 4–5 feet and creates the kind of bold, tropical-looking structure that most people associate with much less hardy plants. It's also the fern with edible fiddleheads. The tightly coiled, bright green fiddleheads that emerge in early spring, distinctive with their papery brown scales, are considered a delicacy, harvested before they unfurl and cooked like asparagus. They have a clean, green, slightly nutty flavor. Harvest only a few from each crown to leave the plant energy to produce fronds. Site it in moist, shaded locations where it can spread freely. It colonizes readily by underground stolons, forming large, impressive colonies over time. Along a shaded stream bank, at the base of a slope where water collects, or in the moistest corner of a woodland garden, it becomes the defining structural plant of the space.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown ostrich fern propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
Plant ostrich fern instead of Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) as a moist-site ground cover, Japanese stiltgrass. Same job in the garden, without the spread.
- Sun
- Part sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 3–5 ft · 24–48 in wide
- USDA zones
- 3–7
- Family
- Onocleaceae
- Native range
- Northern North America and northern Eurasia; moist, rich woodland and floodplain habitats
Care notes for ostrich fern.
Plant in part to full shade in consistently moist to wet, rich soil. Does not tolerate drought. reliable moisture is essential. Remove old fronds in early spring before fiddleheads emerge. Spreads by stolons into large colonies. give it space or divide regularly to manage spread. Fiddleheads are edible. harvest no more than a third of each crown's new growth. No fertilizer needed in moist, organically rich soil.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside ostrich fern.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.