About
Matteuccia struthiopteris, the shuttlecock fern, is a vigorous, deciduous, stoloniferous fern forming spectacular, erect rosettes to 1.5 m in height. Fresh-green, lance-shaped, bipinnatifid sterile fronds splay outwards like a shuttlecock around the shorter, brownish fertile fronds. One of the most architectural and rewarding of all hardy ferns for a shaded, moist position.
About the genus
Matteuccia are rhizomatous, deciduous ferns sometimes producing stolons, forming elegant, erect, shuttlecock-like rosettes of pinnately divided fronds with shorter, erect, bead-like fertile fronds in the centre. Excellent plants for shaded, moist borders and woodland gardens.
Growing conditions
SunlightFull shade, Partial shade
Soil typeClay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, North-facing, West-facing, East-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH5
Plant details
Plant typeFerns
HabitSuckering
FoliageDeciduous
Height1-1.5 metres
Spread1.5-2.5 metres
Time to full height5-10 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden
Native toTemperate Eurasia
Care notes
CultivationEasy to grow in most cool, moist, shaded sites and useful for very wet sites
PruningDead or damaged fronds may be removed as necessary
PropagationPropagate by sowing spores as soon as ripe or by division in spring
Pest resistanceGenerally pest-free outdoors
Disease resistanceGenerally disease-free outdoors