Matteuccia struthiopteris (Ostrich Fern)

Matteuccia struthiopteris, commonly referred to as ostrich fern, is a clump-forming, deciduous fern named for its feathery resemblance to ostrich plume feathers. Ostrich fern typically grows 2-3' tall in cultivation or when grown in containers, but may reach 6' tall when naturalized in moist, cool areas like forest understories. The plant's main leaves emerge at the narrow base of the clumps in spring as the familiar "fiddleheads," and slowly unfurl until they reach full length.

Ostrich ferns have two parts that make up their main above-ground body: showy, feather-like sterile vegetative fronds consisting of dissected compound leaflets, as well as spike-like fertile fronds, which resemble brown, underdeveloped fronds, but which are responsible for the plants reproduction and creation of new fern spores. Matteuccia struthiopteris can sometimes colonize areas rapidly, so care should be taken with choosing a proper location for planting.