Leaf

Stefan.lefnaer, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Bracken

Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn

Also known as: Eagle fern

Family: Dennstaedtiaceae

50 cm to 1.5 m, sometimes more

Heathland, open woodland, forest clearings on acid soil

Flowering: Does not flower — reproduces by spores

Full sun

Part shade

Shade

Very hardy, to -20°C

❓ How do you recognise this plant?

Often the most invasive fern of woodland, forming vast carpets thanks to its creeping rhizome.

🍃 Leaves

Huge triangular fronds, deeply cut, borne on a long, stiff stalk

🌸 Flowers

No flowers: the spores form under the rolled-over edge of the leaflets

🍎 Fruits

No fruits — reproduces by spores released in summer

🪵 Bark

Blackish, creeping underground rhizome, no woody stem

🗺️ Distribution

Cosmopolitan, present on all continents except deserts; very common in France at woodland edges and on heathland

🐝 Value for pollinators

Fern reproducing by spores, with no flowers and no interest for pollinators

✂️ Horticultural uses

Used as ground cover in acid woodland, can become invasive

⚠️ Possible toxicity

Toxic and carcinogenic if eaten repeatedly (particularly for livestock), to be handled with care; young fiddleheads are sometimes eaten but this is not recommended

ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.

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