Ostrich Fern

Common Name: Ostrich Fern

Scientific Name: Matteuccia struthiopteris

Origin: Europe, Eastern Asia and Eastern North America

Family: Onocleaceae

Bloom time: Non-blooming

Reaching up to 3 1/2 feet tall in moist, cool soil, the ostrich fern is the tallest native fern in North America. Its vegetative fronds that emerge in late summer resemble long, feathery ostrich plumes and are edged with several bead-like sporangia. Most notably, the dark green fronds grow vertically with a gentle arch. Matteuccia struthiopteris produces large, edible-when-cooked fiddleheads. Sprouts, or kogomi in Japanese, are considered a delicacy.