Bracken Fern
Pteridium aquilinum
Common Names
Bracken, Bracken Fern, Brake, Brackenfern, Eagle Fern, Western Brackenfern, Hog Brake, Brake Fern, Pasture Brake
Summary
Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) is a coarse, deciduous fern with large triangular fronds arising from deep creeping rhizomes, commonly forming dense colonies, fronds reach up to 2 meters tall and are tri- to quadripinnate, with sori along the leaf margins protected by a false indusium, it is highly aggressive and widely distributed in temperate and tropical climates, and fronds die back after frost with new fiddleheads emerging in spring, it prefers full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soils, tolerating poor and acidic substrates, and is hardy and vigorous but often invasive in rich soils, making naturalizing and woodland ground cover its typical use rather than formal gardens, propagation is mainly by rhizome division, though spores can be used, management requires containment and removal of aboveground growth to exhaust rhizome reserves, all plant parts contain toxic compounds, with fiddleheads edible in some cultures but potentially carcinogenic, and livestock should be kept away.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
36-48 inches
Spread
48-60 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3-10
Sunlight Requirements
Partial Shade (Semi-shade) to Full Sun.
Soil Type
Acidic, well-drained soil
Soil Drainage
Moist but well-drained soil
Soil pH
4.0-6.0, mildly acidic to neutral soils
Bloom Time
Pteridium aquilinum does not bloom.
Foliage Color
Green, dark green
Fall Foliage Color
Brown
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Fast
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, and Fall
Propagation Methods
Spores, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts butterflies and birds