Osmundastrum Cinnamon Fern

Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit

Osmunda Cinnamon Fern is a dramatic deciduous perennial that grows 36 to 48 inches tall. This award-winning fern produces two distinct frond types: fertile and sterile. Fertile fronds emerge in early spring as silvery, furry fiddleheads that develop into cinnamon-colored, spore-bearing spikes, resembling the spice they're named after. Sterile fronds emerge later, unfurling into broad, upright, yellow-green fronds that arch gracefully and turn golden in autumn, enclosing the cinnamon fronds in a vase-like display.

Known botanically as Osmunda cinnamomea, cinnamon fern thrives in Zones 3-9. It spreads by creeping rhizomes, forming elegant, circular clumps over time. Perfect for massing in moist woodlands or near ponds and streams, it also pairs beautifully with shade-loving companions like trilliums and Virginia bluebells. This hardy fern adds a soft, feathery texture beneath larger plants and creates a striking focal point when planted in containers.

Low maintenance and adaptable, cinnamon fern thrives in partial to dappled shade and humus-rich, well-drained soil with a slightly acidic pH. While happiest in consistently moist environments, it tolerates less-than-ideal conditions, even adapting to sunny spots if watered regularly. Deer and rabbit resistant, this native fern is virtually pest and disease free, requiring only the removal of spent fronds in summer.

Plant Osmunda Cinnamon Fern roots in spring, spacing them 18 to 24 inches apart.

As a native plant, Osmunda Cinnamon Fern is naturally suited to North American gardens, thriving without excessive care. Native plants like this not only beautify landscapes but also support biodiversity, providing critical resources for pollinators and wildlife while reducing the need for chemicals and excess water. Sadly, cinnamon fern populations in the wild are now endangered, but you can support their survival by planting them in your garden. Our plants are nursery-propagated and always commercially grown, never harvested from the wild.