FoliageOstrich Fern
Matteuccia struthiopteris
Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) is a fast-growing perennial, hardy in USDA zones 3-7, that matures to about 3-6 ft × 5-8 ft. It does best in part shade and full shade with high water needs in well-drained and occasionally-wet soil. It stands up well to deer and wet soil.
- USDA zones
- 3-7
- Sun
- Part shade, Full shade
- Water
- High
- Mature size
- 3-6 ft × 5-8 ft
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maintenance
- Medium
- Soil
- Well-drained, Occasionally-wet
- Tough against
- Deer, Wet soil
- Native to
- Europe, eastern Asia, eastern North America
In the landscape
Data sources
Freeze survival
Will it survive your winters?
Hardiness zones show a normal bad winter. We check the worst one — Ostrich Fern is hardy to about -40°F (estimated from USDA zone 3), so we'll score it against the real coldest nights your area has actually had.
Powered by ~35 years of daily lows from the nearest NOAA weather station. A risk read, not a guarantee — a sheltered spot or mature plant beats the odds.
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