Description of Matteuccia struthiopteris (Shuttlecock Fern)

Matteuccia struthiopteris is shuttlecock fern, also called ostrich fern. It likes damp shade and it gives you a big, fresh look without needing flowers. If your bog garden has a shady side, this fern can carry it.

Appearance

In spring it unfurls tall, arching fronds from a tight crown, making a vase or shuttlecock shape. Fronds can reach 1 to 1.5m in good conditions. It also produces shorter, stiff fertile fronds that turn brown and stay standing.

Care Guide

It needs cool soil and steady moisture. It does not enjoy drying winds or thin compost that bakes in summer.

• Sun: Part shade to shade is best. Morning sun can work if soil stays wet.
• Soil: Deep, humus-rich soil that holds moisture.
• Water: Keep consistently damp, especially in the first year.
• Mulch: Leaf mould each spring helps keep roots cool.
• Tidy up: Remove old fronds in late winter before new growth appears.

It can spread by underground runners in the right conditions. If you want a neat clump, lift and remove wandering offsets in spring.

Suitability for Bog Garden

This is great at the back of a bog garden, or on the shady edge of a pond. It gives height and a clean green wall behind flowering plants like primulas and lobelias.

In liner bogs, plant it in a deeper pocket of compost so it doesn’t dry at the surface. Give it space, as it looks best when the fronds can arch naturally.

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