Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.) Todaro

Ostrich fern, fiddlehead fern, garden fern, hardy fern

About plant names...

Ostrich ferns are natives of North America, as well as temperate regions of the northern hemisphere throughout the world.

Identification: These ferns are among the largest of land ferns (vs. tree ferns, reaching heights of up to 4' (1.3 m)). Foragers for wild edibles will recognize the “fiddleheads,” or tightly coiled baby fronds, that appear in the spring. They often appear in clusters around a central point, leaning away from each other to produce a shape like an inverted cone as they unfurl. As the fern matures, each fiddlehead becomes an attractive long frond that resembles an ostrich plume. The frond becomes wider toward the end. These fronds are sterile, and reach 4' (1.3 m) or more in length and up to 12" (30 cm) in width. Fertile fronds appear during the summer, reaching up to 16" (40 cm) in length. About a third of this length is the petiole (stem); the rest is a compact, paddle-shaped structure that turns from green to brown, persisting through the winter. In many ferns, sterile and fertile fronds are more similar to each other, so the stark difference between the two in this fern is an identifying characteristic.

Edibility: Young, tightly coiled fiddleheads, the state vege­table of Vermont, are prized by many, and are often available for sale in grocery stores in the spring. Or you can find your own, provided that they are less than 6" (15 cm) high and still tightly furled. Add them to salads or boil them for 10 minutes to produce a dish like asparagus.

References:

Cobb, Boughton, Farnsworth, Elizabeth & Lowe, Cheryl, Peterson Field Guides: A Field Guide to Ferns and Their Related Families of Northwestern and Central North America, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005, p. 164

Peterson, Lee Allen, Peterson Field Guides: Edible Wild Plants of Eastern/Central North America, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977, p. 232

Online References:

Matteuccia struthiopteris on Earl J.S. Rook's Flora, Fauna, Earth, and Sky ... The Natural History of the Northwoods

Matteuccia struthiopteris at Illinois Wildflowers

Matteuccia struthiopteris at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Matteuccia struthiopteris on the Connecticut Botanical Society's Connecticut wildflowers site

Matteuccia struthiopteris on Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants

Matteuccia struthiopteris on CalPhotos

Matteuccia struthiopteris on eFloras

Matteuccia struthiopteris on

5/12/2016 · Wildlife Pond Trail, Beaver Broo, Hollis, New Hamp­shire

4/29/2012 · Gordon and Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine · By J Gordon Williamson

4/29/2012 · Gordon and Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine · By J Gordon Williamson

5/12/2016 · Wildlife Pond Trail, Beaver Broo, Hollis, New Hamp­shire

4/29/2017 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 3 × 2" (7.4 × 5.9 cm)

5/8/2021 · Devil’s Back Trail, Orr’s Island, Maine
≈ 4½ × 4" (11 × 10 cm)

5/12/2016 · Wildlife Pond Trail, Beaver Brook Association, Hollis, New Hamp­shire

5/4/2012 · Willard Brook State Park, Blue Trail, Ashby, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 6 × 7" (14 × 17 cm)

Matteuccia struthiopteris description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 14 Aug 2021.

© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.

5/5/2012 · Beaver Brook Association Trails, W. Hollis St., Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 8 × 6" (19 × 14 cm)

5/12/2016 · Wildlife Pond Trail, Beaver Broo, Hollis, New Hamp­shire

4/29/2012 · Gordon and Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine · By J Gordon Williamson

5/8/2021 · Devil’s Back Trail, Orr’s Island, Maine
≈ 7 × 8" (16 × 21 cm)

5/4/2012 · Willard Brook State Park, Blue Trail, Ashby, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 7 × 9" (18 × 23 cm)

4/24/2016 · Blue Trail, Willard Brook State, Ashby, New Hamp­shire

5/10/2016 · Old Long Loop, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hamp­shire

4/29/2013 · Beaver Brook Assn Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hamp­shire
≈ 7 × 10" (17 × 24 cm)

5/9/2016 · Rachel Carson Interpretive Trail, Kennebunk, Maine
≈ 21 × 28" (52 × 72 cm)

4/29/2012 · Gordon and Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine · By J Gordon Williamson

5/7/2021 · Long Reach Preserve, Harpswell, Maine

5/4/2012 · Willard Brook State Park, Blue Trail, Ashby, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 4 × 3½" (10 × 9.0 cm)

Range:

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