Pteridium aquilinumBracken

Pteridium aquilinum is among the most widely distributed vascular plants on earth, and there is a reason for that. Deep-running rhizomes, large triangular tripinnate fronds and near-total indifference to soil and exposure make it a colonising species rather than a garden one.

It is recorded here for completeness rather than recommended. The fronds contain ptaquiloside, a recognised carcinogen, the plant is toxic to livestock, and established stands are extremely difficult to remove.

Specifications

• Height0.6 to 2 metres, and taller on sheltered sites
• WidthSpreading indefinitely by deep rhizome
• Native toAlmost worldwide, on every continent except Antarctica
• FoliageLarge, triangular, tripinnate fronds on stout stalks; deciduous, dying back to brown through winter
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilGrows on almost any acid to neutral soil, including poor and stony ground; avoids waterlogging and free lime
• LightFull sun to partial shade
• WaterLow; drought-tolerant once established from its deep rhizomes
• ClimateThrives in temperate, Mediterranean and montane subtropical regions

Additional Features

• UsesEcological restoration and slope stabilisation only, where the species is already native and its spread is acceptable
• SpacingNot recommended for deliberate mass planting; the rhizome system spreads without assistance
• Low MaintenanceRequires no care, and in practice is extremely difficult to remove once established
• Pest ResistanceUntroubled by pests and grazed by almost nothing
• ToxicityThe fronds contain ptaquiloside, a recognised carcinogen, and the plant is toxic to cattle, sheep and horses
• Erosion ControlDeep rhizomes bind slopes effectively, which is the only landscape argument in its favour

Bracken appears in this catalogue as a record rather than a recommendation, and it should not be specified for ornamental planting.