During my hike this evening I found a large patch of bracken fern growing on the side of the mountain. Bracken is a large fern that can grow up to 3 feet tall and grows well in the sun. Here is South Carolina we have a lot of extremely hot weather in late July and August and the bracken ferns will grow well in direct sun in our area.
Bracken ferns have rhizome roots and are rapid growers in the right soil. They can reproduce two ways, by rhizomes spreading and by spores. All you need is about 3 to 4 inches of the rhizome to transplant bracken ferns from one area to another. Bracken ferns are fast growing and can be invasive.
As you can see in the pictures, bracken has fronds that are made up of smaller leaflets. The fronds are shaped like triangles. After the first hard frost the bracken fronds die back but will come back in the spring.
When I am making an arrangement of bourbon roses or oriental lilies I will add a couple of bracken fronds. I have read that bracken fern is carcinogenic to mice, rats, horses and cattle when eaten.
If you plant bracken ferns in your garden they are almost impossible to get rid of them if you decide you don’t want them anymore!!
Bracken ferns grow on many of our roadsides along with Japanese knotweed. Both are just about impossible to get rid of.
I am not familiar with the Japanese knotweed. I just Googled and read about it. I am glad we don’t have it here.
You have a really nice blog, the searched around on your site and read alot of youe post.
Thank you for visiting my site.
Michael
Beautiful photos, Michael.
thank you!! Bracken looks great in a vase with cut flowers!!