Interrupted Fern (RWMWD Plant Guide)

Interrupted Fern

Osmunda claytoniana

Summary ²

Osmunda claytoniana, the interrupted fern, is a fern native to Eastern Asia and eastern North America, in the Eastern United States and Eastern Canada.

Description ³

Family:
Osmundaceae (Royal Fern)

Height:
2 to 4 feet

Leaves:
Leaves (20-40” long) are compound, with oblong, lobed leaflets.

Spores:
Spores are dark green, bead-like capsules attached to a stalk growing from the middle of the leaf. Spores turn brown as they mature, and wither once released, leaving a large gap at the center of the compound leaf, hence the “interruption”.

Bloom time:
June-September

Nicknames:
None

Habitat:
Interrupted Fern prefers partial shade, moist to well-drained, humid, sheltered conditions, and slightly acidic, organic-rich, sandy or loamy soils. It is commonly found in moist open woodlands, sandy wooded areas, and at swamp edges.

Wildlife Benefits:
Foliage is a food source for caterpillars. Colonies provide habitat cover for ground-nesting birds and small mammals.

Can I plant this in my garden?
This species may be very difficult to grow, but is likely to do well in shady, moist areas with acidic, organic-rich soils, once established.

References:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/fern/interrupted-fern
https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/grasses/plants/inter_fern.htm
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/osmunda-claytoniana/

Range ³

Sources and Credits

Adapted by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claytosmunda
(c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

iNat Map

Habit	Forb
Family	Osmundaceae
Origin	native
Life cycle	perennial
*sites	Snail Lake

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