Matteuccia orientalis

RHS Plant Profile
Oriental ostrich fern

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Synonyms

Onoclea orientalis

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A deciduous fern with widely ovate, pinnate, bright green sterile fronds surrounding long, narrower, fertile fronds that emerge near black and turn reddish-brown in autumn. The stems are long helping to give a spreading, almost pendulous habit.

Position

Full shade, Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Clay, Loam

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres
Max Height
0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam
Moisture
Moist but well–drained or Poorly–drained
pH
Acid or Neutral

Position

Full shade Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
North–facing or East–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H5

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Onocleaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Clump forming, Spreading branched
Genus
Matteuccia are rhizomatous deciduous ferns, sometimes with stolons, forming shuttlecock-like rosettes of erect or spreading, pinnately divided fronds, with smaller, erect, bead-like fertile fronds
Name Status
Correct
Plant Range
Asia

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in a moist shady spot in neutral or slightly acidic soil.

Propagation

Propagate by division in spring or from spores

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Architectural
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Low Maintenance
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Underplanting of roses and shrubs

Pruning

Dead or damaged fronds can be removed as necessary

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free