In spring this group of ferns is magical…the white fiddleheads look like they are gathered at a seasonal celebration.
Name: Osmunda regalis aka royal fern or Osmunda fern
Type of Plant: Large fern for shade or part shade
Why I love this: This is a fern that by the end of the summer looks like a shrub! I love the white fibers on the new fiddleheads in the spring and how sturdy and trouble free the plant is all summer and fall. This plant appreciates regular watering but it doesn’t have to be in a place that’s really wet. Rabbit resistant, tolerant of heavy shade, and a good fern to plant for greenery for flower arrangements.
These beautiful white fuzzed fiddleheads glow in the spring garden.
A Word to the Wise: Allow enough space for this in your garden. Count on it growing three to four feet high and four to five feet wide; larger if the area is moist and fertile.
Osmunda roots are the source of osmunda fiber that is used to pot and grow many orchids.
This fern is about ten years old. It has been in this location for six years and every summer it is more spectacular. This is the north side of the house, and the plant gets some rays of evening sun in high summer.
