About the Ostrich Fern
Ostrich Fern is a popular garden ornamental. Spectacularly beautiful in the early summer. It prefers a moist, cool location protected from winds. It is easily propagated by division. Ostrich Fern spreads by underground rhizomes to form new crowns and often grows in dense colonies. It is found throughout much of the northeast and across Canada; but only reaches the west coast in southern Alaska and British Columbia. It grows in lowland or montane alluvial forests, riverbanks and sandbars. The fiddleheads are sometimes eaten raw, or cooked, most notably in Japan; the flavor is sometimes compared to asparagus. Caution, however, is advised, especially consuming raw parts…eating the fiddleheads of other fern species should be avoided.