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Pteridium
Also called Brackenfern, Plants, Plant
Bracken (Pteridium) is a genus of large, coarse, cosmopolitan ferns, most often the common bracken Pteridium aquilinum, found on moorland and hillsides. It is a vigorous spreader from underground rhizomes, so give it well-drained soil and room, or control it where it is unwanted.
Bracken (Pteridium) is a genus of large, cosmopolitan, coarse ferns in the family Dennstaedtiaceae. Brackens are noted for their large, highly divided fronds and are found on all continents except Antarctica; their typical habitat is moorland. The word bracken is of Old Norse origin, related to Swedish bräken and Danish bregne, both meaning fern. In the past, the genus was commonly treated as having only one species, Pteridium aquilinum, but the current trend is to subdivide it into about ten species. Like other ferns, brackens reproduce by spores rather than seeds or fruit. The immature fronds, known as fiddleheads, are sometimes eaten, although some contain carcinogenic compounds.
Pteridium aquilinum (bracken or common bracken) is the most common species of this genus with a cosmopolitan distribution (occurring in suitable habitats in temperate and subtropical regions throughout much of the world).
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Bracken by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
