How to Grow Ostrich Ferns

By the SoilCommander Editorial Team, under the guidance of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder · · How we check our facts

On this page
  1. Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)
  2. Quick Facts
  3. Growth Stages
  4. Harvest & Storage
  5. Ostrich-fern, Seed to Harvest
  6. Plan your Ostrich Ferns planting
  7. Growing Ostrich Fern in another region
  8. Sources

Ostrich ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris) — Deciduous, stoloniferous fern.

Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.

Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)

Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) fiddleheads, tightly coiled young fronds — “Matteuccia struthiopteris fiddleheads” by The Cosmonaut is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 ca.

2 sources cited · Verified

Quick Facts

The upright, vase-shaped habit of ostrich fern fronds — “Matteuccia struthiopteris 11zz” by Photo by David J. Stang is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Matteuccia struthiopteris 11zz” by Photo by David J. Stang is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Factor Value
Drainage Moist but well-drained, tolerates very wet ground (RHS).
Lifecycle Deciduous, stoloniferous fern. RHS calls it "easy to cultivate," particularly valuable for cool, moist, shaded sites, including very wet ground.
Edible parts shoots

Growth Stages

An ostrich fern fiddlehead partway through unfurling — “Matteuccia struthiopteris 8zz” by Photo by David J. Stang is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Matteuccia struthiopteris 8zz” by Photo by David J. Stang is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Stage BBCH Notes
Planting 0 RHS: propagate by sowing spores as soon as ripe, or by dividing established plants in spring; grow in cool, moist, shaded ground improved with leaf litter or similar organic matter -- suits even very wet sites.
Fiddlehead emergence 0 UMaine: tightly coiled fiddleheads emerge in clusters of about three to twelve per plant in spring -- this is the stage to harvest at, picking while still 1-2in above the ground and tightly furled.
Frond unfurling 3 RHS: bright green, feathery sterile fronds unfurl to their full upright rosette shape, reaching 1-1.5m; shorter, brownish fertile fronds appear separately within the crown.
Autumn dieback 9 RHS: this deciduous fern dies back for winter and returns reliably from its stoloniferous crown the following spring; established colonies spread via stolons to 1.5-2.5m over 5-10 years.

Harvest & Storage

Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) fiddleheads, tightly coiled young fronds — “Matteuccia struthiopteris fiddleheads” by The Cosmonaut is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 ca.
“Matteuccia struthiopteris fiddleheads” by The Cosmonaut is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 ca.

When to pick: UMaine: pick fiddleheads as soon as they are 1-2in above the ground, still tightly coiled, with the brown papery scale covering brushed off; harvest late April through early June depending on location.

Storage

SAFETY: fiddleheads must never be eaten raw or undercooked -- boil 15 minutes at a rolling boil or steam 10-12 minutes with the lid on before eating. Refrigerate and use within a week, or freeze after a 2-minute blanch (UMaine).

Plan your Ostrich Ferns planting

Timing for Ostrich Ferns follows soil temperature and frost, not the calendar date. The Global vegetable planting calendar explains the method. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.

Growing Ostrich Fern in another region

Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.

Sources

The full list of 2 sources behind this guide (Royal Horticultural Society, University of Maine Cooperative Extension) is in the references of our UK guide to ostrich ferns; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.

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This page gives you the thresholds; the planner turns them into your own calendar. It works from what you can observe and measure in your garden rather than from dates written for somebody else’s latitude.

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SoilCommander Editorial Team — under the guidance of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder

Every growing guide is checked against RHS, USDA Cooperative Extension, and other named horticultural authorities before publishing. How we check our facts.

How this guide is put together

The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against international horticultural research and extension sources. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.

Vegetable Growing Guides

Last verified 2026-09-04

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