Ostrich fern

Ostrich fern

Fern

An herbaceous perennial plant with a small green fernlike frond. It is easy to grow from spores and is a popular house plant. Ostrich ferns appear in a range of colors, including blue, green, white and purple, but are mostly tinged with a cream color. They come from tropical and subtropical South America, where they are distributed extensively.

A staple plant of woodland gardens, the ostrich fern boasts stately, large upright fronds that resemble the large feathers of their namesake bird. They create a lovely backdrop for other plants and spread to easily fill a garden space. In spring, the numerous fiddleheads of emerging foliage can also be picked for a snack as the ostrich fern is edible. It also makes a stunning element in a fresh flower bouquet. (Source: www.bhg.com)

Tall

When he saw an ostrich fern crawling slowly over the ground, Ralph's first instinct was to run away screaming. After a gut-wrenching walk, he eventually came across a fern that was smaller and not nearly as deadly. Ralph could breathe again, and happily return to his daily errands.

Ostrich ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris) are especially showy. These deciduous ferns produce large, upright clumps of finely dissected medium green fronds, which resemble long feathery ostrich plumes. Emerging from the base in spring, these vegetative fronds grow in a way that is similar to the familiar curly fiddlehead ferns as they unfurl. Each frond can grow to be up to four feet long. (Source: www.thespruce.com)

Spread

The ostrich fern grows with a tall and spread-like form, reaching up to ten feet high, which makes it ideal in large terrariums. It is also suitable for borders due to its low-lying nature, and with the long petals that reach out to the ground, it is a natural home for rotifers, which helps to keep waters clean. Opt for a light to dark pigmentation for best color impacts.