© Greg Rabourn

bracken fern (enlarge)

Pteridium aquilinum

Deciduous Groundcover

Height: 5 ft.

Availability: Low

Growing ease: High

Moisture req.: dry - moist

Exposure req.: sun - shade

Plant description:

This large fern has triangular shaped blades held horizontal on a single stalk. Because it often colonizes disturbed sites and spreads aggressively, it is often thought of as weedy. It can be quite attractive spreading throughout a woodland.

Keywords: aggressive, drought tolerant, ferns, perennial (non-woody), spreading, upright