How to Grow Ostrich Ferns Canada

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
The upright, vase-shaped habit of ostrich fern fronds. Photo by Photo by David J. Stang, 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
An ostrich fern fiddlehead partway through unfurling. Photo by Photo by David J. Stang, 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
Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) fiddleheads, tightly coiled young fronds. Photo: “Matteuccia struthiopteris fiddleheads” by The Cosmonaut, 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

When to sow and plant Ostrich Ferns depends on your own frost dates. Check the Canada vegetable planting calendar. 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.

Plan next season before the problems start

Short-season growing is arithmetic before it is technique: days to maturity against frost-free days decides what will finish at all. The Canada Garden Planner does that subtraction for your region before you sow.

Get the Canada Garden Planner →

Instant PDF download · Written for Canadian growing conditions

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 Canadian hardiness-zone and frost-date data, with provincial agriculture and university extension sources cited directly where one exists for a crop. 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 Canada

Last verified 2026-09-04

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