SafePlants

Cinnamon Fern: A Detailed Look

The Cinnamon Fern, scientifically known as Osmundastrum cinnamomeum, is a striking fern admired for its elegant form and adaptability to moist environments. It is also commonly known as Osmunda cinnamomea.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Osmundastrum cinnamomeum (L.) C. Presl.
• Family: Osmundaceae (Flowering Fern Family)
• Genus: Osmundastrum
• Synonyms: Osmunda cinnamomea

Considerations for Pets

• The text mentions that the plant is a large fern rising from a woody clump with separate spore fronds, suggesting a possible ingestion risk for pets who might chew on plants.
• The fronds emerge as silvery, furry fiddleheads, which might be attractive to some pets.

Considerations for Children

• The fronds emerge as silvery, furry fiddleheads, which might be attractive to some children.

Distribution and Habitat

The Cinnamon Fern is native to North America, thriving in wet areas such as swamps, moist mountain slopes, marshes, wet ditches, and along streams. Its distribution spans from Newfoundland to western Ontario, southward to the Gulf States and New Mexico. It's also found on Nantucket and in the eastern Ozark region of Missouri.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• Size: Large fern with fronds up to six feet long and a foot wide.
• Form: Exhibits a shuttlecock or vase-shaped form, with fronds growing in large clumps.
• Fronds: Deciduous, lance-shaped, feathery pale green sterile fronds. Fertile fronds are separate, erect, narrow, and cinnamon-brown in spring. New fronds emerge as silvery, furry fiddleheads.
• Rhizomes: Grows from thick, creeping semiwoody rhizomes.

Quirky Facts

• The Cinnamon Fern derives its common name from the cinnamon-brown color of its fertile fronds, which resemble flower spikes.
• The crosiers, or young emerging fronds, are white, which distinguishes it from the Ostrich Fern.

Ecological Role

The Cinnamon Fern is well-suited to wet areas, making it a good choice for shoreline stabilization and rain gardens. It is also a native plant that contributes to local ecosystems.

Further Information

• RHS (Royal Horticultural Society)
• Monrovia
• Dave's Garden
• Encyclopedia of Life
• USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
• Wikimedia Commons
• The Home Depot