Ostrich fern is an easy-to-grow, herbaceous perennial fern in the spleenwort family (Aspleniaceae) and is native to Eurasia. It is found growing in swampy moist areas, thickets, and the understory of woodlands. The generic name is a combination of the genus name of the ostrich ( Struthio ) and the Greek name for ferns ( Pteris ). It naturally occurs in heavy, moist soil but adapts to light, rich soil and prefers constant moisture. Plant in partial to full shade but it will tolerate sun with cool temperatures and adequate moisture. Divide the crowns in the spring to propagate. With an erect rosette crown of bright green fronds reaching a height of 3 to 5 feet and a width of 2 to 4 feet, the ostrich fern makes an interesting addition to an understory woodland garden, planted in a shade border, or along a slope to prevent erosion. It works well to naturalize or for use in a rain garden. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. The stout rhizomes send out slender underground runners that form new plant colonies, which can be weedy. VIDEO Created by NC State Extension's Homegrown series featuring Mark Weathington , Director of JC Raulston Arboretum .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Wet
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Vase-shaped clump of arching, oblong, lance shaped fronds; vegetative fronds are plumelike, broadest above the middle and tapering to the base; 30-50 pairs of pinnatifid pinnae; tip of frond is abruptly constricted; 6-12 in. lyre-shaped fertile fronds produced in summer, become brown and woody; short stipe is slightly covered with whitish hairs
Fall color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow; Orange
Flower detail
No flowers.
Fruit detail
No fruits. This plants reproduces via spores.
Stem color
Green
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern North America, Temp. Eurasia
Food & Medicine
Edibility
Fiddleheads can be cooked and consumed
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Naturalized Area; Near Septic; Woodland
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; Garden for the Blind; Rain Garden; Shade Garden