Matteuccia pensylvanica
| Matteuccia pensylvanica | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 2 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-7.3 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Matteuccia pensylvanica (common name: ostrich fern)
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]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Dislikes full sun, the leaves turning yellow and burning in such a situation[3]. Prefers a pH between 5 and 6.5[3].
Hardy to about -20°c[3].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[4].
This species is included in O. struthiopteris by most botanists, but it is slightly different[3].
A very ornamental plant[1], it establishes rapidly[2]. It has a short rhizome but produces long stolons, by which it spreads rapidly once established[2], and it can be invasive[3]. 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].
Grown commercially for its decorative fronds[5]. These fronds are also available as a food from speciality markets[6]. Plants can be forced in the winter to provide an early supply of the young shoots[6].
Range: Eastern N. America - C. Alaska to Dakota.
Habitat: Low open ground, alluvial thickets and rich woods[7].
Edibility: Young fronds - raw or cooked[8][9][10][11]. Used before they fully unroll, they are thick and succulent[6]. Sometimes sold in speciality markets according to one report, whilst another says that they are a famine food that is only used when all else fails[12].
Rootstock - peeled and roasted[5][11][12][6].
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: M. struthiopteris pensylvanica. (Willd.)Morton. Struthiopteris pensylvanica.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Perennials - The Definitve Reference. Pan Books, 1991.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Coon, Nelson. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press, 1975.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Livingstone, B. Flora of Canada. National Museums of Canada, 1978.
- ↑ Elias, Thomas. A Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982.
- ↑ Kavasch, Barrie. Native Harvests. Vintage Books, 1979.
- ↑ Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Oriental Herbs and Vegetables, Vol 39 No. 2. Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1986.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.