Scientific Name:
Onoclea sensibilis
Pronunciation:
on-oh-KLEE-uh sen-si-BIL-iss
Common Name:
sensitive fern
Family Name:
Onocleaceae
Plant Type:
Fern
Key ID Features:
Fronds bright green, long-stalked, 60-90(-120)cm long, triangular with lobed pinnae; separate erect spore bearing fronds up to 30cm long with bead-like sori in two rows.
Habit:
Arching
Form:
Vase
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
0.7 - 1.3m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
U.S. - northeast
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 3: (-40 to -34 °C)
Exposure:
Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade, Sheltered
Soil/Growing Medium:
Humus rich
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Group or mass planting, Perennial border, Spring interest, Waterside planting
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Compound, Fern-like
Arrangement:
Basal
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Fall:
Yellow
Shapes:
Lanceolate
Apices:
Rounded
Bases:
Truncate
Margins:
Pinnately lobed
Additional Info:
As the common name suggests, the fronds are very sensitive to dry soils or frost
Inflorescence Type:
Flower Morphology:
Colour (petals):
No flowers
Flower Time at Peak:
Fruit Type:
Sporangium (spores)
Fruit Colour:
Brown, Black
Fruiting Time:
Jul, Aug
Bark or Stem Colour:
Brown
Additional Info:
no above ground stem
Organ Modifications:
Rhizomes
Pest Susceptibility:
(Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant)
