Matteuccia struthiopteris
| Matteuccia struthiopteris | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 2 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-7.3 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Width: | 2' |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Matteuccia struthiopteris (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].
Dormant plants are hardy to at least -20°c[3].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[4].
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][3]. Plants can be forced in the winter to provide an early supply of the young shoots[6].
Range: N. Temperate zone. Occasionally naturalized in Britain.
Habitat: Light shade on rocky stream banks, forming extensive colonies[2]. Wooded ravines in Turkey, 650 - 1200 metres[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, the flavour can be compared to asparagus[3]. Another report says that they are a famine food that is only used in times of need in China[12].
Rootstock - peeled and roasted[5][11][6].
Medicinal: A decoction of the leaf stalk base from sterile fronds has been taken in the treatment of back pain and also to help speed up the expulsion of the afterbirth[13].
Usage: Plants make a good ground cover[3] when spaced about 60cm apart each way[14]. They spread slowly and the fronds tend to die off earlier in the autumn than most ferns[14].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay 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 germanica. Pterinodes struthiopteris. Struthiopteris germanica.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 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 3.7 3.8 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.
- ↑ Davis, Peter. Flora of Turkey. Edinburgh University Press, 1965.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Thomas, Graham. Plants for Ground Cover. Everyman, 1990.