Ferns are the oldest surviving perennial on the planet and the feathery fronds of an ostrich fern create an unequaled lush beauty in a shady garden. An ostrich fern’s main attraction is it’s majestic beauty with graceful vase-shaped ostrich-feather-like fronds emerging from a narrow base and unfurling into a massive shuttlecock shape of verdant lushness.
In mid-spring, the fern’s fiddleheads break dormancy through the ground and are considered a popular delicacy for they are non-toxic and very edible. These need to be harvested and cooked before they completely unfurl. They are so delicious that Vermont has named ostrich ferns as the state vegetable.
Ostrich ferns are natives of the United States and are hardy in Mountain shade gardens for they have a zone-two rating and thrive in cool summer climates. Alkaline soil can be a problem unless it is amended with compost, so the ferns never reach their full height but top out at about twenty-five to thirty inches. In hotter climate gardens, ostrich ferns often go dormant in summer but will hold their foliage longer in cooler high elevation gardens with adequate water. Ferns take their time getting established but will survive forever as soon as they mature so be patient. Most slow starters are the perennials that live longer. After all, ferns were once dinosaur food.
Propagating Ostrich Ferns
Ostrich fern’s fronds do not like to be touched so they need to be divided early when they are still small or in fall after they go dormant. Because ferns do not flower, they do not form seeds but instead, have tiny spores located on the backs of their fronds. These spores may self-seed but it will take years and years, so ferns are best propagated by division. Ferns are totally self-sustaining and perform better when left alone so they can form colonies by underground runners. These runners will grow and push up a new fiddlehead in spring. This new growth is still attached to the fern’s root ball so do not break these off.
Ferns do not flower but their light-as-a-feather arching foliage is attractive with other shade perennials. The deeply cut, feathery fronds add a delicate contrast to courser textured shade perennials like hosta, brunnera, ligularia , trollius and lilium. Each of these varieties prefers a dappled shady garden spot with plenty of moisture. Bulbs are good fern companions for a fern’s foliage will completely hide the bulb’s spent foliage when they are through blooming. Most low light perennials are not famous for their flowers, but with the bright green lacy foliage of ferns, flowers are not really necessary. An addition of different fancy foliage colors like those of heuchera or heucherella edging the fern garden will make both perennials more attractive.
How fortunate is a gardener with a shade garden for they can grow ferns!
