Bracken Fern

Bracken Fern - Pteridium aquilinum is a Well Adaptable Pioneer Plant.

Bracken fern, also known as common bracken or eagle fern, is a cosmopolitan fern that can be found on all continents except Antarctica. It is a well-adapted pioneer plant capable of colonizing land quickly, and in the wild, it can often be found in woodlands, fields, old pastures, marshes, areas where the topsoil has been disturbed, burned-out areas, and thickets. It is a hardy and vigorous grower that will often form colonies under the right growing conditions.

Bracken fern can be grown quickly in almost any soil but prefers sandy or peaty acidic soils and consistent moisture. Once established, bracken fern requires very little maintenance and can even endure short periods of drought. Triangular fronds rise from the rootstock, often divided into threes. In the fall, the fronds turn reddish-brown and die back, only to be replaced by new growth, known as fiddleheads, in early spring. If grown in pots, bracken fern can be brought indoors during the winter months to preserve their foliage. These fiddleheads are considered delicacies in some areas of the world, such as Japan and parts of North America.

Bracken Fern is the Oldest of the Ferns

Bracken Ferns are coarse plants that are known for their highly divided large leaves. The name bracken is an Old Norse word that is related to the Danish word, brand, and the Swedish word, bräken. Both words mean fern. 

  Bracken Ferns belong to the Dennstaedtiaceae family. They grow in all environments except for deserts. They thrive in moorland. People living in the north of England refer to them as Moorland Scrub. Young Bracken Ferns are called fiddleheads and are sometimes eaten.

  This fern is one of the oldest ferns, with fossil records going back over 55 million years, which makes them one of the most successful ferns, evolutionarily speaking. This type of greenery is still prolific, growing on all continents except for Antarctica. 

  Ferns do not produce seeds or fruit. Because all ferns are vascular plants, they have alternating generations, where one generation grows to be large and produces spores, and the next generation stays small and produces sex cells. 

  Bracken Ferns form a wide-creeping rootstock in the ground from which it sends up triangular fronds every meter or so. Fronds can grow to be over eight feet long if supported, but the typical length is between two and six feet. Sometimes they form dense thickets.

 It is often used to revitalize areas with poor soil due to its ability to pull nutrients from the deeper regions of the soil and thrive under most conditions. Propagation can be easily accomplished by cutting pieces of the underground rhizome and replanting them in desired areas. Bracken fern also reproduces sexually by spreading spores or through the creeping of its rhizome. Bracken fern fossils over 65 million years old have been found, making it one of the oldest and most evolutionary persistent plants. As such, bracken fern can be used to give your garden an ancient “Jurassic Park” feel.

Latin Name: Pteridium aquilinum

 Hardy Planting Zones: 3-9

 Mature Height: 3-5 feet

 Mature Width: 3-4 feet

 Full Sun to Partial Shade

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