The King Ostrich Fern (aka Fiddlehead Fern) (1 Gallon)

Choose The King Ostrich Fern when you need a shaded area to fill quickly with a native, upright fern. The tradeoff is control: it spreads by runners, so don't use it where you need a tidy, fixed clump.

Buy This If

• You want fast shade coverage
• You like a native fern look
• You have room for spreading

Skip This If

• You need a small clump
• You dislike plants that wander
• The site bakes in afternoon sun

PGNE Report Card

Our Experience

At PGNE, we'd typically recommend this where the goal is to let a shaded bed naturalize, not where every plant needs to stay in its assigned spot. The running habit that makes it wrong for a tight bed is exactly what makes it right for holding a shaded streambank.

Plant Facts

Customers Usually Ask

Will it spread?

Yes. That is the main reason to buy it and the main reason to avoid it in tight beds.

Can I use this for streambank or buffer work?

Yes, and it is one of our better choices for it. Its rhizomes knit shaded soil together, and it carries a FAC rating on the USDA/USACE National Wetland Plant List, so it handles the wet-to-average swing a buffer planting sees.

Are the fiddleheads edible?

Ostrich fern is associated with edible fiddleheads, but nursery plants are sold for landscape use, not food production.

Does it handle deer?

It has good deer resistance, though no plant should be treated as immune.