FORAGING GUIDE
Ostrich Fern
Matteucia struthlopteris
WORDS LEIGH JOSEPH
ARTWORK VALERIE RAYNARD
Range: The range of ostrich fern in Canada spans the country from east to west and grows almost as far north
as there are trees growing. The overall range in North America is from Alaska down to northern California.
Habitat: This fern is found growing in abundance in shaded river bottom forests and along the banks of rivers
and streams. These ferns can also be found growing, in less abundance, in rich wooded sites near ponds and
ravines.
Parts of plant used: The new spring shoots, called the fiddlehead, can be harvested, cooked and eaten as a
delicious spring vegetable.
W
hen people refer to “fiddleheads” they
are usually referring to spring shoots of
ostrich fern. All ferns go through the fiddlehead stage, but not all fiddleheads are edible. It is
important to be sure about the species of fiddlehead
before harvesting it and to prepare it properly.
The fiddleheads of ostrich fern are a highly
regarded spring vegetable. Ostrich fern is deciduous and grows in a rosette formation of five to nine
fronds that make a funnel shape. The fronds can
grow as long as two meters in length. There are two
types of fronds: the large leafy infertile green fronds
and the much smaller brown fertile fronds. These
smaller fertile fronds are found growing in the centre
of the rosette.
Ostrich fern can cover large areas of land and
thus can be harvested at a large-scale level. That
being said, sustainable harvesting practices should
be employed so not to overharvest a single stand of
ostrich ferns. When harvesting you should not take all
of the fiddleheads from one rosette, and you should
only harvest once per season from each plant so as
not to overstress the plant.
Ostrich fern fiddleheads have a distinct u-shaped
groove running the length of the top of the fiddlehead
and stalk. The stem of the fiddlehead is bare and smooth.
When harvesting fiddleheads they should be snapped
off at about 30–60 centimetres in length.
Harvesting the curled top of the fern along with
the smooth stalk yields much more food than collecting only the curled tops alone. The lower quarter of
the stalk is usually too tough to harvest and eat. Fiddleheads should be cooked by steaming, sautéing or
boiling, but can be eaten raw in moderation.
Leigh Joseph is an ethnobotanist from the Squamish First
Nation who searchs for a way to bridge traditional ecological knowledge with western science.
Valerie Raynard is a Vancouver-based artist whose art aims
to celebrate the beauty and complexity of the natural world.
Note from the author: I have always been taught to respect plants and to be sure not to harvest too much from one single plant. There are many other animals that rely on the food and medicine that plants provide. It is also extremely important to go out harvesting with someone who is confident with plant identification and who can help to harvest and prepare
the plants in a safe and responsible way.
SPRING/SUMMER 2016
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