Pteridium aquilinum (Bracken)

Cultivation

Grows best in poor to moderately fertile, moist or moist but well-drained, sandy, acid soil in sun or partial shade. Extremely vigorous and hardy so site carefully as will become invasive. Tends to be difficult to control due to deep, creeping rhizomes.

Suggested uses

Banks and Slopes, Underplanting, Woodland

UK hardiness

H7

USDA zones

Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9, Zone 10

Sunset zone

WUCOLS

North-Central Coastal = Unknown
Central Valley = Unknown
South Coastal = Unknown
South Inland = Unknown
High and Intermediate Desert = Unknown
Low Desert = Unknown

Foliage

Deciduous

Habit

Clump-forming, Arching

Native to

Europe, Great Britain, Northern Asia, Central Asia, Southwestern Asia, Northwestern Africa

Drought tolerant

No

Flood tolerant

No

Toxicity

Historically, young fiddleheads have been considered edible but studies indicate that the leaves are carcinogenic and deplete the body of vitamin B1. Large concentrations of spores may cause stomach cancer.