The King Ostrich Fern

Ferns and Hostas make natural partners for the shady parts of your landscape. Surely, the crown jewel must be The King Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris 'The King'). This tall, upright plant adds a dynamic natural appeal.

In spring, you'll be enchanted by the young fiddleheads as they unfurl from the base. These sterile green fronds proudly stretch out into a lovely, vase-shaped, green accent plant. Starting in mid-summer, tan spears of fertile fronds begin to rise from the center of the plant. Let them dry and remain to add winter interest to your shade garden.

The King is much larger than the typical Ostrich Fern that is native to most of the eastern US, and The King keeps this native hardiness. You'll love watching the enormous, upright leaves develop each season throughout USDA planting zones 3 to 7! Wonderfully cold-hardy, these perennial Ferns grow upward of 5 feet tall but only spread 2 feet wide.

Planting and Application:

Make the most out of a shaded area that you may have struggled with in the past. These plants help turn an eyesore into a special focal point. The King is a wonderful shade-loving selection that will fill in along the back of a Hosta glade. Use it alongside a pond or natural water feature to soften the edges and create a lush view.

In moist, cool areas, this clump-forming fern slowly naturalizes. Eventually, they will grow to create a magnificent specimen stand. These tall ferns are clumping, but they will slowly spread by underground rhizomes. If you let them, over time they'll grow into a beautiful tall groundcover for you. Cheat and plant several if you want results faster! Plant them 15 inches apart, measuring from the center of one to the center of the next.

Run them along the length of your treeline in the shade. Use Hostas and other shade-garden perennials, and smaller Ferns in front to create a fabulous, easy-care border. Use on the north side of your house, or under taller trees.

They'll look especially beautiful surrounding a water feature where you can enjoy their reflection, as well. They can handle moist soil, so be sure to include them in a shady Rain Garden to help filter runoff from roofs and streets, and slows erosion on shaded hillsides before it hits the storm drain.

The height of these Ferns creates lush privacy and screening that also hides eyesores, and shields your yard or pool, and seating areas from peeping neighbors while surrounding you in cooling seclusion. Hide the ugly HVAC unit or add bulk to a shaded fenceline with ease.

• Bright Green Fine-Textured Lacy Fronds
• Upright Cold-Hardy Fountains
• Great Seasonal Privacy & Hides Eyesores
• Slowly Naturalizes & Groundcover
• Perfect Specimen Plants, Rain Gardens & Mass Plantings

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Ferns are easy to maintain and you can plant them in full shade and partial shade. They will not do well if given more than 4 hours of sunlight a day. Any well-drained soil works great and these hardy Ferns grow well in wet soil and draining clay. Add Nature Hills Root Booster during planting, because the symbiotic ingredients work non-stop over the life of the plant.

A generous layer of mulch helps retain soil moisture as well as insulate the root system from heat and chill. Wait to prune until late winter or early spring, then snip last year's fronds before the new growth starts. Divide plants that become too crowded in the spring as well, keeping clumps growing vigorously.

• Grows in Full Shade or Partial Shade
• Appreciates Regular Moisture
• Almost Any Well-Drained Soil - Tolerates Wet & Clay Soils
• Extremely Cold Tolerant
• Deer & Rabbits Tend to Leave Them Alone

Surround yourself with shade garden royalty and you'll be so pleased with the quality of The King Fern! There is nothing like it, and we can't think of a Fern more majestic than The King Ostrich. Buy today at NatureHills.com and fall in love!