Ostrich fern produces large, upright, finely divided green fronds that resemble ostrich feathers, hence the name. The sterile green fronds emerge in spring as curled fiddleheads and gradually unfurl into a large vase-shaped crown.
Unlike many ferns, it produces two distinctly different types of fronds:
Sterile fronds — the large, beautiful green "ostrich plume" foliage.
Fertile fronds — much shorter, darker, stiff brown structures that develop separately in the center of the plant and carry the spores.
Typical cultivated size: roughly 4–6 ft tall
Fronds can reach around 4 ft long
Shade
Ostrich fern produces large, upright, finely divided green fronds that resemble ostrich feathers, hence the name. The sterile green fronds emerge in spring as curled fiddleheads and gradually unfurl into a large vase-shaped crown.
Unlike many ferns, it produces two distinctly different types of fronds:
Sterile fronds — the large, beautiful green "ostrich plume" foliage.
Fertile fronds — much shorter, darker, stiff brown structures that develop separately in the center of the plant and carry the spores.
Typical cultivated size: roughly 4–6 ft tall
Fronds can reach around 4 ft long
Shade
