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Ferns

Matteuccia struthiopteris 'Jumbo'

ostrich fern

Produces large fronds in the characteristic shuttlecock shape which gives a dramatic effect in the garden. The extraordinary fiddleheads unfurl to bright green, feathery fronds and can reach over 2 meters.

Other common names

shuttlecock fern

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Ultimate height

1.5–2.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Clay

Loam

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Poorly–drained

pH

Acid, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full shade
Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

North–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Onocleaceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming, Spreading branched
Genus: Matteuccia are rhizomatous deciduous ferns, sometimes with stolons, forming shuttlecock-like rosettes of erect or spreading, pinnately divided fronds, with smaller, erect, bead-like fertile fronds
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

To be at its best this fern needs a moist, shaded position and benefits from soil improved with leaf litter or similar organic matter.

Propagation

Propagate by division in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural
Cottage and informal garden
Low Maintenance

Pruning

Dead or damaged fronds may be removed as necessary

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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