Does the sight of a shady garden, filled with ferns, bring a smile to your eyes? It does mine!

I Love them all, or at least I think I do since I don’t know if I’ve come across all of the approximately 380 species of ferns in North America. Most of them can be found on the national forests and grasslands. We, gardeners, have our favorites. Today, we are highlight three growing in The Joslin Garden: The Good, The Bad, and um, The Ugly!

Remember. when looking at the pictures, our fern stands are mature. It will either take time for you to achieve the same lush level. If you want more sooner than later, you’ll have to raid the cookie jar! I have some serious fern envy from The Joslin Garden.

THE GOOD FERN: Ostrich Fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris

Matteuccia is a genus of ferns with one species: Matteuccia struthiopteris. The species epithet struthiopteris comes from Ancient Greek words στρουθίων "ostrich" fern. The one and only, and how good it is!

Up north, ostrich ferns can be invasive; that’s not so much of a problem here.

Did you know ferns are deer resistant? ~Helen Yoest

The wetter climate we’ve experienced in the last couple of years has gardeners ready to fill moist, shady areas with lush ferns. Tolerating both wet and drier situations, once established, as well as some sun to full shade, ostrich ferns colonize an area by spreading rhizomes. By lifting these rhizomes, and separating them into pieces, they can be transplanted elsewhere.

Dying back in winter, with a unique crown above ground, the fronds appear vigorously in the early spring, popping out of the ground almost overnight. The clumps also increase in size every year for a lush dramatic ground cover.

Did you know ostrich fern fiddleheads are edible? To harvest the fiddleheads, which are simply the curled or coiled young fronds emerging in the spring. Ostrich fiddleheads are considered a delicacy. Collect them when they are just emerging from the ground, up to about an inch above the soil line.

If a brown papery case surrounds the coiled fiddlehead, remove it by rubbing it off before cooking. Wash the fiddleheads several times in cold water to remove any dirt or grit, These fiddleheads can be store for a few days, tightly wrapped in the refrigerator before preparing. But the sooner cooked after harvest, the better.

Tasting like nutty asparagus, the fronds mesh well with stir-frying, hollandaise sauce, and tomatoes, A great source of vitamins A and C, fiddleheads should not be served raw as they can cause stomach upset. I like mine saluted in a little pad of butter.

Please be specific when eating fiddleheads. The ostrich fern is considered the safest to eat. People frequently forage for fiddleheads of other species like the lady fern or the shield fern, and consider them to be safe as long as they're cooked. Bracken fern fiddleheads are an especially controversial variety; many believe the ferns are fine in small quantities, but they're known to contain a carcinogen. I only consume ostrich fern fiddleheads and cooked.

THE BAD FERN, Bracken Fern, Pteridium spp.

Well, I should start by saying bracken ferns are GREAT in the garden. In fact, bracken ferns are gorgeous!!! Nothing bad here! But…

There was a time when the bracken fern had been used by man as a delicacy and for animal forage.  

Bracken ferns are noted for their large, highly divided leaves. They are found on all continents except Antarctica and in all environments except deserts. Their typical habitat is in uncultivated hill land. Great for use in erosion control. The genus probably has the widest distribution of any fern in the world

It is, however, a toxic plant that’s associated with tumor formation, bone marrow depression, blindness, and other serious conditions. Some believe bracken ferns can be eaten in moderation, but I’m NOT a believer and would not recommend this!

And…

THE um, UGLY FERN: Christmas Fern, Polystichum acrostichoides

Christmas fern, Polystichum acrostichoides, is very easy to establish and grow where conditions are right. It requires cool, moist, well-drained soil in shade. In the right spot, it can be a good, evergreen border or accent plant. Though often used as a groundcover, it is a clumping fern, not forming a continuous, undifferentiated carpet the way some ferns do. But with enough of them, it can appear like a solid mass.

Within the winter #JoslinGarden, the native Christmas fern is a bright evergreen spot. Maybe not the showest fern in the summer, but finding a patch of green amongst our leaf litter #leavetheleaves at the #JoslinGarden during a cold winter day is heartwarming.

So why do I say ugly? Christmas ferns are so underused, I have to assume people don’t like their looks in the winter as they flatten to the ground. They are upright in the spring, summer, and fall.. I prefer the look of a Christmas fern in the dark days of winter. In the summer, their green seems to just blend in with all the surrounding green and can be missed. Now is the time to truly find the beauty in Christmas ferns!

Christmas ferns got its name because it stays green right through the holiday season. It is a robust, leathery fern with glossy, green fronds year-round.

Our native Christmas fern is very easy to establish and grow where conditions are right. It requires cool, moist, well-drained soil in shade. In the right spot, it can be a good, evergreen border or accent plant.The silvery fiddleheads emerge in early spring.

Did you know, #JoslinGarden is open for a covid-friendly stroll M-F from 9 to 5 when staff is here. We are closed Saturday and Sunday, but M-F we encourage you to visit and see how many Christmas ferns you can find! ~Helen Yoest

The City of Oaks Foundation is very fortunate to have volunteer groups come in to help in the garden. It is a most cherished labor gift to the #JoslinGarden. This past Saturday, we were honored with seven volunteers from The Gardeners of Wake County. I know these folks; I was a member for years, but I just got to busy to attend; I’v spoken to the group many times. The programs are wonderful, and the meetings are great fun. We had seven volunteers for four hours. Imagine, that is 28 hours of hard labor, helping to beautify the garden. Thank you so much!!!

Helen Yoest

Horticulture Specialist