Osmunda regalis - Royal Fern

Description

A majestic fern, plants form a dense clump of fresh green fronds usually to 3' long, to 6' in moist shady places. The fronds are made up of large leaflets. Small fertile leaflets are borne in panicles at the tips of some of the fronds. The royal fern is fully cold hardy. It is usually deciduous, with leaves dying back in winter. It likes shade and regular watering or placement near a permanent water source. It prefers acidic conditions and a humusy loam soil, but has proved to be adaptable to a variety of situations. The white, inner rhizome and the fiddleheads are edible.