Ostrich Fern
Matteuccia struthiopteris
Matteuccia is a genus of ferns with one species: Matteuccia struthiopteris (common names ostrich fern, fiddlehead fern, or shuttlecock fern). The species epithet struthiopteris comes from Ancient Greek words στρουθίων (strouthíōn) "ostrich" and πτερίς (pterís) "fern".
Quick Facts
| Scientific name | Matteuccia struthiopteris |
| Family | Onocleaceae |
| Height | 3-5 ft |
| Bloom time | Non-flowering (spores) |
| Sun | Part shade to shade |
| Moisture | Mesic to wet |
| Soil | Rich loam |
| Wildlife value | Fiddleheads are the edible ones; spreads by runners into large colonies |
Mentioned In
Image Credits
- Nesnad (CC BY 4.0)
- Nichole Ouellette/ouellette001.com (CC BY-SA 4.0)