Deciduous Perennial Upright in the Onocleaceae Family
Buy Ostrich Fern
Size
Notes
Price
Availability
#1 gallon
Field
Nice (10/4)
$11.00
Likely available
5/1 - 5/4
5/8 - 5/11
5/15 - 5/18
#2 gallon
Field
$36.03
Likely available
5/1 - 5/4
5/8 - 5/11
5/15 - 5/18
#3 gallon
Field
$48.78
Likely available
5/1 - 5/4
5/8 - 5/11
5/15 - 5/18
Available May 9
Size
Notes
Price
Availability
#1 gallon
Field
$13.60
Available for Pre-Order
5/1 - 5/4
Estimated Arrival May 9
Ostrich Fern captivates with its lush, feathery fronds that unfurl in a graceful, arching display, adding a touch of elegance to any garden. This hardy perennial thrives in moist, shaded areas, making it a perfect choice for woodland landscapes.
Matteuccia struthiopteris, commonly called ostrich fern, is a dramatic and versatile native perennial that can make a striking addition to shade gardens and naturalized areas. This clump-forming fern features large, arching fronds that can reach up to 6 feet tall, giving it a distinctive, ostrich-like appearance. Ostrich fern prefers consistently moist, well-drained, acidic soil and partial to full shade, making it well-suited for planting along streams, ponds, or under the canopy of trees. Its vigorous, spreading habit allows it to be used as a groundcover or planted in mass to create lush, textural backdrops. The fronds maintain their bright green color throughout the growing season before turning golden brown in fall. Ostrich fern also works nicely when incorporated into woodland gardens, cottage gardens, or shaded border plantings to add bold, architectural interest.
Pros
A tall, native fern. Bright green fronds. Bronze-gold fall foliage color.
Foliage Interest
Bog Plant
Award of Garden Merit
Why Like
In May, this ornamental fern puts on a Jurassic show at the north end of the woods, with graceful fronds unfolding 3+ feet straight up, and eventually arching down.
Plant Data
Mature Size
4 - 6 feet
tall. 24 - 36 inches
wide.
Growth Rate
Fast
Sun Exposure
Full Shade - Full Shade
Moisture Tolerance
Medium - Wet: It is essential to water your Ostrich Fern often to maintain medium to wet conditions during the hot season. If the plant doesn’t get enough moisture, its foliage can go dormant too early.
Zones
4a - 8b
(Usually hardy to -30° F)
Tags
Container, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Fall interest, Fast Growth Rate, For a Shady Spot, Full Shade, Good for Accents, Good for Beginners, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Mass Planting, Grown For Attractive Foliage, Low Maintenance, Medium, Most Popular, Normal Soil, Perennial, Plant of Merit, Pond, Rabbit Resistant, Shade Tolerant, Tolerant of Clay Soil, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Tolerant of Sandy Soil, Well-Drained Soil, Wet, Wet Site Tolerant, Woodland Garden
We try very hard to source exactly what you’d like, but sometimes growers run out of plants! While this variety is a great deal at the price shown, we know that it has limited availability. If you want the plant even if it might be more expensive, or in a different size or quantity -- after you place your order, just send us a quick note at help@northshoreplantclub.com. Then, we’ll try to get you some version of this from one of our growers. And if we can’t get it from anywhere, of course, we’ll send a refund!
Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants
Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.
Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.
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About Ordering From The Plant Club
To secure the best prices for club members and make sure we know the current plants available from each nursery, we take orders only a couple of times a month.
Shoot us an email at help@northshoreplantclub.com, and we'll be happy to talk about plants or let you know when it's time to buy them!
No Pricing or Availability Right Now
We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region.
It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.
Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!