Matteuccia orientalis
| Matteuccia orientalis | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-7.3 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Width: | 2' |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Matteuccia orientalis
Propagation: Spores - surface sow as soon as they are ripe in mid-winter and keep the soil moist. It is best to keep the pot in a sealed plastic bag to hold in the moisture. Pot up small clumps of the young plants as soon as they are large enough to handle and grow on in light shade until large enough to plant out.
Division during the dormant season between October and March[1]. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.
Cultivation: Requires a moist but well-drained position and light shade[1][2]. It grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers a pH between 5 and 6.5[3].
Plants are hardy to about -20°c[3].
Plants have an invasive root system and can send up suckers some distance from the main clump[4].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[4].
Fertile fronds are produced after the first flush of vegetative fronds and persist throughout the following winter. The spores are shed in mid-winter[3].
Range: E. Asia - China, Japan, Himalayas.
Edibility: Young shoots - cooked. A famine food, used when all else fails[5].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Known Hazards: Although we have found no reports of toxicity for this species, a number of ferns contain carcinogens so some caution is advisable[3].
Many ferns also contain thiaminase, an enzyme that robs the body of its vitamin B complex. In small quantities this e
Also Known As: Onoclea orientale. Pterinodes orientale. Struthiopteris orientalis.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Perennials - The Definitve Reference. Pan Books, 1991.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.