Carried by 4 nurseries
View Availability at NurseryData provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria
View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora
Brackens (Pteridium) are a genus comprising several species of large, coarse ferns. Ferns (Pteridophyta) are vascular plants that have alternating generations, large plants that produce spores and small plants that produce sex cells (eggs and sperm). Brackens are in the family Dennstaedtiaceae, which are noted for their large, highly divided leaves. They are commonly found on moorland. Brackens are cosmopolitan, being found on all continents except Antarctica and in all environments except deserts. The genus probably has the widest distribution of any fern genus in the world. In the past, the genus was commonly treated as having only one species, Pteridium aquilinum, but the recent trend is to subdivide it into about ten species.
Fern
3 - 7 ft Tall
Upright
Moderate
Summer
Deer resistant
Full Sun, Partial Shade
Low
Moderate
Fast, Medium
Prefers well drained loam.
Meadows, woodlands and slopes
Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub, Coastal Strand, Foothill Woodland, Lodgepole Forest, Red Fir Forest, Subalpine Forest, Valley Grassland, Yellow Pine Forest
Butterflies and moths supported
4 confirmed and 3 likely
Garden Tiger Moth
Arctia caja
American Angle Shades
Euplexia benesimilis
California Tiger Moth
Leptarctia californiae