Scientific Name:
Osmunda regalis
Pronunciation:
oz-MUN-duh ruh-GAY-liss
Common Name:
royal fern
Family Name:
Osmundaceae
Plant Type:
Fern
Key ID Features:
Large shade-loving fern; fronds about 1m tall, mid green, openly odd-pinnate; pinnae about 4cm long x 13mm wide, attached to rachis by a <1mm stalk.
Habit:
Arching, Stiffly upright, Upright
Form:
Vase
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
1.3 - 2.0m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Canada - eastern, South America, U.S. - northeast
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 3: (-40 to -34 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun only if soil kept moist, Part sun/part shade, Filtered shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Bog, Humus rich
Water Use:
Wetlands
Landscape Uses:
Accent plant, Container planting, Fall interest, Mixed shrub border, Specimen plant, Waterside planting, Wetland - bogs, Woodland margin
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown may include O. 'Cristata' (lobed pinnae).
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Compound, Fern-like
Arrangement:
Basal
Texture/Venation:
Leathery
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Compound Leaf:
Bipinnate
Colour in Fall:
Green
Shapes:
Lanceolate, Oblong
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Oblique (uneven), Truncate
Margins:
Serrulate
Inflorescence Type:
Flower Morphology:
Colour (petals):
No flowers
Flower Time at Peak:
Fruit Type:
Sporangium (spores)
Fruit Colour:
Yellow, Brown
Fruiting Time:
Jul, Aug
Bark or Stem Colour:
Additional Info:
no above-ground stem
Organ Modifications:
Rhizomes
Propagation:
Spore, Division - below ground parts
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Rust (Pest resistant, Disease resistant)
