05/20/2026
🆔Osmundastrum cinnamomeum aka cinnamon fern! It is a species of royal fern native to the Americas and Asia. It is named for its upright, cinnamon-colored fertile fronds that appear in spring. Cinnamon fern has a fossil record extending into the Late Cretaceous of North America, approximately 73 million years ago, making it one of the oldest living plant species! The genus itself goes back to the Triassic!
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It is a host plant to at least 8 species of Lepidoptera larvae. The “fuzz” (tomentum) on young fiddleheads is used by birds, such as yellow warblers and hummingbirds, for nesting. It is highly resistant to rabbit and deer browsing; mostly unpalatable to herbivores.
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It can be found growing wildly in wet savannas, wetlands, floodplains, marshes, dry-mesic forests and subtropical prairies. It also thrives in open meadows as a dominant species. The cinnamon fern is a highly successful species and can thrive in temperate, subtropical and tropical ecosystems. It is great as a ground cover and in rain gardens, wetland and wildlife gardens as it can survive in both a variety of soils and sunlight exposure.
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🥳Fun facts: The Osmundastrum cinnamomeum fern forms huge clonal colonies in swampy areas. These ferns form massive rootstocks with densely matted, wiry roots. This root mass is an excellent substrate for many epiphytal plants. They are often harvested as osmunda fiber and used horticulturally, especially in propagating and growing orchids. AND it often used in constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment (phytoremediation) due to its ability to tolerate waterlogged conditions and assist in nutrient cycling♻️
