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Ostrich Fern
Matteuccia struthiopteris
Ostrich Fern is grown for its foliage rather than flowers, giving the garden structure and color all season long.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Ostrich Fern
Plant it in part shade. It prefers high water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–7. Expect it to reach about 3.9 ft tall and 3 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 3 years.
When to plant Ostrich Fern
Plant Ostrich Fern in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. For the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 7 range, spring means April to June and fall means August or September.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 5 in April.
Good to know about Ostrich Fern
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Its spring fiddleheads are edible but must be cooked thoroughly: raw or lightly cooked ones have caused documented outbreaks of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Boil or steam them well. per University of Maine and CDC MMWR
Worth knowing
It grows two kinds of frond: showy green plumes, plus separate stiff fertile fronds that turn dark brown and stand through winter, holding the spores and giving cold-season interest. per NC State
Height depends on conditions
In cool, moist, rich ground it can reach 1.5 to 1.8 m, but in drier or warmer sites it often stays nearer 0.6 to 0.9 m. per Penn State and Missouri Botanical Garden
Spreads into colonies by runners
Unlike clumping ferns, it runs by underground stolons into large, dense colonies and can overrun a small border. Give it room, or contain it with a root barrier. per NC State
Browns out in heat
In summer heat or dry soil the green fronds scorch and brown out early, sometimes collapsing well before fall. Constant moisture and shade keep it looking good. per NC State
Deer-resistant
It is generally deer-resistant, though deer may nibble the tender new fronds as they unfurl in spring. per Penn State
Habitat, not pollinator forage
As a fern it has no flowers or nectar, so no pollinator forage; its value is habitat: a larval host and shelter and nesting cover for small wildlife. per Illinois Extension
What pairs well with Ostrich Fern
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Bugleweed
Shares part shade and moderate to high water; low at 6 in, to carpet the ground beneath; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Pachysandra
Takes part shade to full shade and moderate to high water; lower at 8 in, for the front of the border; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Eastern Hemlock
Shares part shade and moderate to high water; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; both are native plants.
Lily of the Valley
Takes part shade to full shade and moderate to high water; lower at 8 in, for the front of the border.
Rhododendron
Shares part shade and moderate to high water; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Flowering Dogwood
Shares part shade and moderate to high water; taller at 23 ft, for the layer behind it; both are native plants.
Northern Sea Oats
Shares part shade and moderate to high water; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both are native plants; this one spreads, so it will crowd its neighbor in time.
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