Osmunda regalis |
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Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.
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| | Common Name: Fern-Royal
Common Name (Alternative): Flowering Fern |
Soft green, bipinnate fronds emerge a pale pink and age to a deep sea green, retaining this color well into the fall. The individual pinnae resemble the leaves of locust trees. These royal fronds form vase-shaped clusters which slowly spread circumferentially, eventually completing a ring of new plants around the parent. The name 'Flowering Fern' comes from the clusters of fertile pinnae which are held up like a bouquet of flowers among the fronds.
Characteristics:
Height:
3-4 Feet
Spread:
2-3 Feet
Foliage Color:
Green shades
Sun or Shade?:
Part shade (4-6 hrs. direct sun)
Full shade (< 4 hrs. direct sun)
Wet or dry?:
Average water needs
Consistent water needs
Need critter resistant plants?:
Deer resistant
Rabbit resistant
How fast should it grow?:
Slow
When should it bloom?:
Grown for its attractive foliage
How's your soil?:
Average Soil
Fertile Soil
Sweet or Sour Soil?:
Acidic Soil (pH < 7.0)
Neutral Soil (pH = 7.0)
What's your garden style?:
Container/Patio
Rain Garden
Eclectic
Osmunda should be planted in loose, highly acidic, very moist or wet soil for best growth. Adding humus, peat moss, or compost to the soil at the time of planting will give them all the natural fertilizer they need. Royal ferns prefer partial to open shade. In more sun, they require more moisture to remain looking fresh. Once established, they grow larger and more luxuriant each year, reaching a mature size of 9 feet wide by 5 feet tall. They propagate from spores and come true to form.