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Photo by JLBG taken at Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC
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Photo by JLBG taken at Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC
Matteuccia struthiopteris 'The King'
The King Ostrich Fern
Item #: 8692
Zones: 3a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)
(aka: Matteuccia 'Fanfare') Matteuccia 'The King' is an amazing selection of ostrich fern, distributed by Larry Mellichamp, who got it from NC's Powell's Garden around 1985. Matteuccia 'The King' is one of the few forms we've found that thrives in the hot, humid southeastern US, where normal ostrich ferns fear to tread. The 3' tall deciduous rosettes (6' tall under ideal conditions) spread vigorously via underground rhizomes. In nature, the deer-resistant ostrich ferns are found in moist ditches and lowlands, but also adapt well to drier garden conditions where they grow a bit shorter. Patches of Matteuccia struthiopteris 'The King' are highlighted by the 18" brown fertile fronds that appear in fall and persist through the winter when they can be spray painted with some cool psychedelic colors to freak out your garden visitors.
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Other Attributes
Leaf Color: Green
Container Role: Thrillers
Garden Themes: Cottage Garden Plants
Other: Bog Garden Plants , Edimentals , Deer Resistant Plants , Giant Plants , Groundcovers , North American Native Plants , North Carolina Native Plants , Plants Named After Animals , Rabbit Resistant Plants , Rain Garden Plants , United States Native Plants