PlantFiles: Ostrich Fern, Garden Fern, Shuttlecock Fern
Matteuccia struthiopteris

Ditto on the posts which say the Ostrich Fern needs to be protected from heat/intense sun. I have mine tucked away on the east side of the house, but it apparently still receives too much southern sun. The mature fronds in places are bleached and scorched. I water it like a baby, but I can't undo the burnt areas!

Several of these were here in different spots, under trees & along an old rock wall, when we moved here. They love the shade and look fantastic against the rock wall. They are not spreading as aggressively as I've read about here, in fact they're pretty well-behaved and we've added more ferns to fill in along the wall.

Although beautiful, it is invasive and sensitive to heat. I started with three and it spread to 15 in one season. They were gorgeous! Then the next season, the late July heat came in and they all burned up and looked awful - even with daily waterings. Then the next season, they started invading my hostas, iris patch and eventually escaped past my brick border into my lawn. I dug them all out (and 15 others I found just under the surface) last fall. I am now trying to get rid of 12 new ones that have sprung up. Give this one plenty of room if you want them in your landscape!

This fern has thrived here in zone 9b, growing against the wall of the house where it is shaded from the full sun. Watered daily. Commonly found for sale locally in the gardening departments of stores such as Orchard Supply Hardware.

Native to the north-eastern states in the USA (plus Alaska), Canada, northern Asia, and Europe. (It is listed as exploitably vulnerable in the state of New York).

I've grown this in the shade of a fence in very sandy soil and found that it only needs average moisture to grow, though it is only about 3' tall in those conditions.
This fern can be invasive- it spreads like crazy for me- so only plant it in an area where it can be easily contained or where it has room to ramble. My kids make pretend "bird wings" out of the fronds.

While the theoreticla appeal of these is their height, in my setting (clay/loam soil in heavy deciduous shade), the lady ferns consistently outpreform the ostrich ferns in the same bed, and are roughly twice the height. Not that these don't grow, but they do not thrive compared to other species.

In a woodland setting they'd be fine and actually are in my garden, under the old pines that have lost the lower 20' of limbs.

In a garden they are badly behaved: wandering over and up through lupines, irises and astilbes and they just give me headaches trying to get rid of them.

An extremely handsome fern. The vase shape makes it really stand out.

I too love this fern and if it is happy where you plant it, it will give back to you over and over. I was told to plant 18" apart which after 10 years, I can say was too close. I agree as stated above 3' apart maybe 2'. I just dug out 15 plants for my garden club's plant sale. If they get too dense you can not enjoy the beautiful vase habit. Here in northern OH they get late morning sun till about 2-3 in the afternoon, they are next to a hemlock. Those that get more sun are much taller. I am 5'2" and they are every bit as tall as me. They require a lot of moisture, or they will start to go summer dormat for me, we use a soaker hose, because if wated from above the 'vase' will flatten and it does not spring back. It also has great winter interest.

I don't know of a more shared plant in this area.

I first remember seeing Ostrich Ferns at my G-Aunt's house 40 some years ago. We played in the 'jungle' of ferns bigger than I was.
My Mother took a few home and I've had them ever since.
Thru 6 moves and three states we have always brought some along sharing them as we went.
A few years back I was able to revisit the original stand.
They are still there and going strong.

If you have the conditions, and they are not as tight as usually stated, and the room this is the premiere fern for your garden.

Lovely fern. Spreads by rhizomes. If you're planting more than one, place them at least 3 feet apart.

The edible fiddleheads appearing in spring are a tasty. Eat up!

This fern grows fairly well, even in Nevada, if you give it the water, shade and loamy soil it wants.

I have added over a dozen of these fern to my shade garden, which were given to me by a neighbor here in zone 5. They thrived, even when transplanted during the summer heat - but I did make sure to water well for the rest of that summer. Now, several years later the colony is growing and provides a wonderful graceful look in the back of the garden. Combined with hosta, impatiens, perilla, coleus and astilbe, and other shade loving plants, the shade garden is a thrill to watch all summer.

And yes, the fertile fronds that appear in late summer are wonderful to use in dried arrangements. I usually let them overwinter on the plant and pick them in spring.

a large clump of these came with the house when i bought it.
they are planted where they get almost full sun and seem to tolerate it well. i have dug out several and given them to friends and family with no transplanting problems. they just fill back in.

Forms handsome colonies where happy. It is happy in moist, loose, organic soil. It is not happy in clay soil! Too much sun will bleach out the leaves. Mine get morning sun only, and it still seems to be too much.

Cultivation tidbit: This plant is particularly sensitive to hot, dry weather and is nearly impossible to grow here in Southern California unless watered 1-2x daily. Of most ferns available in cultivation, this is one of the toughest to grow here.

This hardy fern derives its common name from its fronds' resemblance to an ostrich. It is a native to wooded river bottomlands and swamps in the Northeastern US, as well as throughout Canada, Europe, and Asia.

Beaded clusters of fertile fronds arise in late summer. After the spore has left, these cinnamon velvety "feathers" can be cut for dried arrangements or left on the plant to enjoy all winter. Harvesting the young fronds (also known as "fiddleheads") may encourage more and earlier growth. The young fronds are edible. The plant requires very moist (never completely drying out) soil and protection from winds.