Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda Cinnamomea) – 1 Gallon Pot

A North American native that will grow anywhere in the US, the Cinnamon Fern is a majestic beauty with large upright arching fronds rising up to 5 feet tall. It is named for its showy, separate, cinnamon color fertile fronds, hence the name, that appear in spring to create an interesting display of contrast with the bright green sterile fronds. It can be grown in average garden soil where it will reach maybe 3 feet in height but thrives in consistently moist and shady sites where it will reach heights upwards of 5 feet. Cinnamon fern is right at home growing near streams, ponds, swamps and other moist areas and an attractive addition to the moist shade garden mixed with other fern species and shade loving plants.

American Indians used a decoction of cinnamon fern to treat rheumatism, headache, chills, colds and snakebite. Frond tips were eaten both raw and cooked. The fiddleheads are edible, and said to taste like a blend of broccoli, asparagus and artichoke. But this doesn’t mean we’re suggesting you harvest the fronds and eat them before doing your own research. 

Growing up to 5 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, the Cinnamon Fern is a wonderful accent, grouping or background in shade or woodland gardens and waterside settings such as streams, ponds, lakes, swamps and other areas with moisture retentive soils.