I know quite a lot about wild plants, but little about ferns. The last couple of years I have been curious about the Ostrich fern, or Fiddleheads (Matteuccia struthioteris) as they are also called (strutseveng in norwegian). Because people are eating them, and I am very interested in edible, wild plants. I think I know now how it looks, and also were to find it, and there are thousands not far from were I live. I would never eat any plant I am not hundred percent sure about, and that should apply to all. Anyway it was too late. The name Fiddlehead is the shape of the fern when it is rolling out early in the spring, and thats the time when it is eaten. So maybe next year.
There are more photos of this fern in my green photo gallery.
Bente Haarstad Photography 
ferns are so hard to grow in Montana. I have tried so many places on our property to get them to establish, with little to no luck. Until last year. A fern I had planted over four years ago decided to come out of the ground and show itself for the first time, gorgeous all summer in our shade garden. This year it’s already a foot or so high.
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Sometimes the plants want to decide themselves. Good luck with your fern, Nancy.
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Be careful if you’re thinking about eating fiddleheads. I think there are look-alikes and even the edible ones come with directions to boil and boil and boil. To me it’s not worth it. They’re beautiful to look at though and you’ve done a great job of showing them in good compositions.
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I never eat anything wild I am not absolutly sure about. Now I know for sure (was quite sure when I was there) it is the right one, but it is too late this year. I’ll try next year..
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So beautiful. Over here we have lots of ferns and even a prehistorical fern tree! 🙂
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Yes you really have a lot of abundant nature. Would be interesting to see that fern tree, MC Colmo.
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I found a photo here: http://www.yuquiyuresort.com/topics/history.html
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We have the ostrich fern here in Maine, and also call them fiddleheads! Mainers eat them with vinegar, how about you?
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I know these are traditional food some places in North Amarica, but myself I have not tried them yet. It will be next year, Sandy.
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A very interesting post Bente. I love ferns and have a lot growing in the hedges around my garden. I hadn’t heard about eating them. You must let us all know how you get on when you try them. 🙂
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There are stories and recipies on the internet, Chillbrook, otherwise you have to wait unntil spring 2013…(don’t try any of your ferns if you are not sure about which ones you have there. And it would be too late for you too this year..)
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There are lots of them here. I have quite a few here in my garden and I like them very much, but they multiply like crazy, so each year I pull out quite a few. The ones I can’t give away I throw in the bin I’m afraid. (In the one for stuff that can be composted to be exact.) Here’s an example: https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=bd419f7521d2645f&sc=photos#cid=BD419F7521D2645F&id=BD419F7521D2645F!12649&sc=photos
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Oh, what a wonderful garden, Cybermum, I am sure you enjoy it a lot! And the fern looks like the ostrich fern. In Norway this is the only wild fern with spore-bearing fertile fronds on separate stems, they are brown while the rest of the fern is green now in spring.
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i had quite a few ferns when I lived in Minnesota, but I haven’t had any luck here. These are very nice.
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I like them too, Oneowner. I hanen’t tried growing them, but there is one or two wild ones in my garden, probably a differnt kind. They are a bit smaller.
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Lovely photos of this fern. I like the top part rolled up into a ball. I have lots of similar looking ferns near my lounge window – they do so well in the deep shade in this area. Not sure whether I’d be game to eat ferns though – probably needs an expert to correctly identify them first.
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You are absolutly right about the expertice, Victoria. I have checked now with a real expert, so I know now. In the meantime I will study them more. They live in the shade also in the forest.
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I’ve never had any luck with ferns, but I think they are so gorgeous. I think I’ll stick to looking at your photos. So pleasing to the eye, and they stay alive that way. 🙂
Simply beautiful. I love the second pic. Rabbit ears – hehe.
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Glad you liked the rabbit ears, Gemma.
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My first thought was can you eat them?! Regardless, I love ferns in the bush, in the garden but when growing them they have a mind of their own – like cats – they grow when, where & how they want. Your photos are lovely.
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Haven’t tied growing them, Ella. Dont’t have cats either, but there are always some comming for a visit.
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I love ferns. I used to collect them when I had a much bigger property. I think I wound up with 121 different species when I sold that property in 2001.
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You are crazy, Russel, 121 species of fern. Now I have used quite som time to learn about one of them, not to mention growing any. I think you must have really green fingers.
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I got my green fingers from my wise old grandmother. She gave me a bad piece of ground in her yard as my garden. I didn’t see it as bad, though. I saw it as an opportunity to grow beautiful cactus and succulents. The rest is history.
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beautiful fresh green! I love these ferns
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Me too, Mimo.
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Absolutely beautiful and freshly green photographs. I hadn’t realized that fiddlehead ferns is the same as Ostrich ferns. In the National Indian museum down in DC, they serve Fiddlehead fern head salad at their cafe. Tastes like green.
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That is something, serving fern head salad at a cafe. But I have read that some native american tribes have this fern as traditional food. Wood be nice to try.
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LOL ! Wood ! Now that would be something. Yes, the cafe in the museum serves traditional native american foods from the different regions. All of the foodies in DC love the cafe because its uniqueness.
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These are great photos and very pretty ferns. I also need to study up on ferns: there are many species in this area too.
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I am going to study ferns too, Montucky. Need to find out more..
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Beautiful and especially the image with old and new in one picture!
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Glad you like them, Mijnnikoenik.
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I never knew that you can eat those fern. Especially the second photo is great! 🙂
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We learn something new every day, Allesistgut.
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Hi,
Ferns can look fabulous, I love seeing them in the rainforest’s, so many different variety’s, very nice photos. 🙂
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You are lucky to have a rainforest, Mags. There are forests they call rainforest here too (boreal), but it is more like a normal, northern forest were it rains a lot.
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life… so refreshing.
a beautiful and informative post – well done 🙂
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Thanks a lot, Alessandro.
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Hello! Fiddleheads are delicious to eat, they taste a little like spinach, and that is how I prepared them when I was living in Canada many years ago.
During the very short spring season, you could even find them frozen in the local supermarket (that was in Ottawa); a little butter in the pan was enough, letting them simmer a few minutes with pepper and (not much) salt.
Even the kids loved them!
The “fiddles” must be very very young to be edible though!
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Now I am even more looking forward to trying, Louvain. It will be next year. We don’t have them in the shop.
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Jag håller med om två saker, det är oerhört skoja tt äta vilda växter, och jag skulle inte äta dem om jag inte var 100% säker. Jag har funnit denhär sidan, jag hoppas att du finenr många bra saker där! http://www.skogsskafferiet.se/
Underbara bilder! När de är mer hoprullade, ser de ut som något från 1700-talet. 🙂
Kram och allt gott till dej!
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Tusen takk for tipset, Svorskan. Har vært der og masse interessant. Har abonnert på din blogg også, veldig mye bra naturfoto der.
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Vad kul att du uppskattade det! 🙂 Kul att dela med sig av det man tycker om. Glad att du vill abonnera på min blogg, ja, det blir mycket naturbilder, älskar att vara ute i naturen!
Allt gott till dej!!!
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cool pants.
I like the last photography where one of these plants decaying.
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The decaying one is spore-bearing fertile fronds, they are on separate stems, and thats how you can identify these fern. Thanks for your comment, Eldin.
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What a beautiful green touches dear Bente, fascinated me all, I am lost in these photographs… Thank you, love, nia
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Yes, I know you like colours and plants, dear Nia. So glad you also like the green.
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I wonder how these ferns must taste, I’m not so knowledgeable about ferns but I think I’ve seen something similar here in India. Green looks wonderful!
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Can’t tell you about the taste yet, Shamnam. I am almost sure you have ferns in India, but they might be of a very differnt kind maybe.
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Here in Hawaii the Fiddle Head fern is called Haupu and it is also eaten but the big trunk that grows is also used to grow orchids on.
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Very interesting, Karen. You always do it your own way in Hawaii.
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great shots my friend…I am a big fan of green!
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That makes two of us, my friend the Adventurer.
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Gorgeous ~truly! We have this! Blessings Deborah
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Thanks, Deborah, glad you liked them.
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splendid green dominant
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always like green
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First had these in Nova Scotia – picked out of the field. They are unusual and beautiful.
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I think you’ve prompted a little project for me.
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Absolutely superb images..
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gorgeous healing images of pure green. 🙂 Sam
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LOL…that second pic really gets my imagination going….they look like ostrich heads! Isn’t that weird, or something?! Excellent photos. Liked.
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Beautiful pictures, love all the close up of the fiddleheads. I would be careful if you are thinking about eating them. Ostrich ferns in our area have grown really well this year since we have had more rain that ever.
Ostrich Ferns Gone Wild
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Oh, I have been eating them, and they were so tender and tasteful. I’ll absolutely try again next spring.
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