Ostrich Fern – Matteuccia struthiopteris

Common Name: Ostrich Fern, Ostrich-Feather Fern, Fiddlehead Fern

Botanical Name: Matteuccia struthiopteris, ma-TOO-kee a struth-ee-OP-ter-is

Decorative Life: 7-14 plus days.

Availability: Year Round

• As a member of the Dryopteridaceae family, its’ relatives include Adiantum, Asplenium and Dryopteris.
• Native to Europe, Asia.

• Fronds (leaves) are pinnate in form, up to 36 inches long in spreading clumps.
• Plant has rhizomes.

• Named after Carlo Matteucci, 19th century Italian physicist. This species is a very favorite garden fern for moist areas. It spreads by underground rhizomes to form clumps of tall green-yellow growth called shuttlecocks.
• Members of this family do not produce flowers as they reproduce by spores. Spores are contained in sori or “fruit dots” and appear as dark spots on the lower surface of mature leaves called fronds.