Matteuccia 'struthiopteris'

Ostrich Fern

Matteuccia struthiopteris

A bold, vase-shaped deciduous fern grown for its tall, feathery, bright to medium green sterile fronds that create a graceful ostrich-plume effect in spring and summer. This perennial fern slowly spreads by rhizomes to form colonies, and it also produces shorter, upright, dark brown fertile fronds in the center of the clump that often persist into winter.

Type: Fern perennial
Mature Size: 3–6' wide x 2–3' high in cultivation, sometimes taller in ideal cool, moist sites
USDA Zones: 3a–7b
Form: Upright, vase-shaped, clump-forming to colony-forming
Light: Part shade to full shade
Soil / Water: Rich, humusy, consistently moist to wet, well-drained soil; medium to high water, especially in dry weather
Bloom Time / Length: Non-flowering fern; ornamental fronds emerge in spring and remain attractive through the growing season
Wildlife: Provides cover in shaded plantings; not typically grown for pollinator value

Features & Landscape Uses: Excellent for woodland gardens, shaded borders, rain gardens, stream edges, pond margins, and other moist sites where its strong vertical texture can naturalize over time. Its dramatic shuttlecock form makes it especially effective in masses, though it can spread aggressively in ideal conditions.

Care: Plant in part to full shade in cool, moist soil rich in organic matter. Do not let it dry out for long periods. Cut back old fronds in late winter or early spring before new fiddleheads emerge, and divide or thin colonies if they spread farther than wanted.

Plant type

Fern

Height

2-3'

Width

3-6'

Hardiness zones

3–7

Sunlight

Full Shade, Partial Shade

Growth rate

Fast

Bloom time

Spring

Leaf color

Green

Fall color

Green

Soil

Humus rich, Moist well-drained, Wet Area

Landscape use

Accent Plant, Specimen

Shape

Clump, Vase Shaped, Wide Spreading

Deer resistant

Yes

Drought tolerant

No