Osmunda regalis – Royal Fern (CVR.DR.EC.GRD.H.SHWY)

Ecosystem Services:
(B)-Birds                                             (B&B)-Birds & Butterflies

(BTF)-Butterflies                             (BW)-Black Walnut Resistant

(DR)-Deer Resistant                      (DRGHT)-Drought Resistant

(EC)-Erosion Control                    (EVR)-Evergreen

(FC)-Fall Color                                 (FRG)-Fragrant

(GRD)-Groundcover                      (H)-Host plant

(HMR)-Hummingbirds                (M)-Mammals

(MTH)-Moths                                   (N)-Nectar

(NB)-Native Bees                            (NST)-Nesting Material

(OP)-Other pollinators                 (RR)-Rabbit Resistant

(SHWY)-Showy                                (SPC)-Specimen Plant

Royal fern is an herbaceous perennial fern with an arching habit. It is in the royal fern family (Osmundaceae) and is native to Ontario, North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Broad fronds have large, well-separated pinnae (leaflets) which give this fern an airy appearance.

Grows best  where it will receive partial shade or dappled sunlight. It prefers moist, rich, humus-rich, acidic soils, but adapts to lesser conditions. In the wild, it grows on moist bluffs, ledges, along streams and sometimes in standing water. In climates with cool summers, it can tolerate close to full sun as long as it is given consistent moisture. It may reach 5 to 6 feet high and 2 to 3 feet wide. The fronds typically turn yellow to brown in autumn.

This fern’s spores are located in brown, tassel-like, clusters at the tips of the fronds, thus giving rise to the common name of flowering fern, though it does not truly flower. Fiber used in the potting of epiphytic orchids comes from the fibrous roots of these ferns.

Ferns provide excellent shelter for small animals and birds and are seldom damaged by deer. Use the flowering fern as an accent or in a mass planting in naturalized, woodland, riparian or near septic areas. It is also at home in rain or water gardens.

Host plant, particularly for the larvae of the Osmunda Borer Moth (Papaipema speciosissima), and is a possible host plant for larvae of the sawfly Strongylogaster tacita. It also provides protective cover for wildlife when occuring in colonies.