Bracken Fern
(Scientific Name: Pteridium
aquilinum)
Description:
A coarse fern growing from long, creeping rootstalks. New plants
appear in the spring as "fiddleheads." Mature stems are
1-6 inches tall with frond blades 1-3 feet long, broadly
triangular in outline.
Habitat: Open woods and waste places, often
covering large areas or the exclusion of other plants.
Uses:
Collect the top 4-6 inches of the fronds (fiddleheads) while the
stems still break off easily. Discard the curled-up tops. The tender
stems below can be eaten raw or cooled like asparagus. This plant
has been widely used for food in many countries of the world.
Bracken fern is listed as a stock poisoning plant, but only the
mature plant seems to be the offender when large amounts are
consumed in hay.
