Osmunda spectabilis
Royal Fern
NATIVE
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Large loose fern fronds with a roughly deltoid shape
Credit: Kristie Gianopulos. Used with permission.
FIELD ID CHARACTERISTICS:
Large loose fern with twice divided fronds.
Synonym(s): Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis
Description: Medium to large fern forming clumps. Usually about 1 m tall but may be up to 2 m.
Leaves: Frond is large, 38 to 75 cm long and 25 to 50 cm wide. Frond bi-pinnately divided. Pinnae usually number 5 to 11, and light green, about 12 cm long and 5 cm wide.
Flowers/Fruit: No flowers, but instead fertile fronds with terminal branch-like panicles. These spore-bearing stalks are light-brown and appear March to June.
Habit and Range: Moist woods, swamps and marshes throughout North Carolina.
Typical Max Plant Height (m):
1
Leaf Arrangement:
Alternate
Leaf Division:
Pinnately Compound
Leaf Margin:
Leaf Shape:
Inflorescence Color:
Brown
Fruit Color:
Brown
Lifespan:
Perennial
Group:
Fern
Family:
Osmundaceae / Royal Fern
Ecoregions Found In:
Statewide
