Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamome) oz-MUN-dah cinnamome

Osmunda cinnamomea, commonly known as the cinnamon fern, is a large, striking, deciduous fern native to eastern North America. Some key features of this species include:

Growth Habit:

• Grows in dense clumps, reaching 2-4 feet tall and wide.
• Produces tightly coiled fiddleheads (crosiers) that unroll into large, pinnately compound fronds.

Foliage:

• Fronds emerge in the spring with a distinctive, cinnamon-brown color.
• Mature fronds are dark green, leathery, and lance-shaped.

Reproductive Structures:

• Produces separate, upright, fertile fronds with brown, cinnamon-colored spore-bearing pinnae.
• The fertile fronds resemble cinnamon sticks, giving the plant its common name.

Growing Conditions:

• Prefers moist, acidic, humus-rich soils in partial to full shade.
• Thrives in wetlands, stream banks, and damp, wooded areas.
• Tolerates full sun in cooler, northern climates.

Uses:

• Valued as an ornamental fern in woodland, shade, and bog gardens.
• The fiddleheads are edible when young and cooked properly.
• Has a long history of medicinal use by Native American cultures.

Overall, Osmunda cinnamomea is a large, distinctive fern with unique cinnamon-colored reproductive structures that make it a striking addition to moist, shaded garden settings.

• Missouri Botanical Garden
• Monrovia
• USDA
• Wikipedia

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