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Onoclea sensibilis

Common name:	Sensitive Fern	Family:	Onocleaceae
Author:	L.	Botanical references:	43, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	Although we have found no reports of toxicity for this species, a number of ferns contain carcinogens so some caution is advisable[200]. Many ferns also contain thiaminase, an enzyme that robs the body of its vitamin B complex. In small quantities this enzyme will do no harm to people eating an adequate diet that is rich in vitamin B, though large quantities can cause severe health problems. The enzyme is destroyed by heat or thorough drying, so cooking the plant will remove the thiaminase[172].
Range:	N. America - east of the Rockies to N.E. Asia.
Habitat:	Wet grassy places, open damp woodland and occasionally on open hillsides[187].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Sensitive Fern [E,P,B],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	sensibilis = sensitive

Physical Characteristics

Fern growing to 0.5m by 0.5m at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 4 and is frost tender. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soil. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) or semi-shade (light woodland). It requires moist or wet soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Bog Garden, Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Deep Shade, Ground Cover.

Edible Uses

Leaves Root.

The young uncurled leaves, often called 'fiddleheads', are used as a vegetable or eaten raw[[159, 177, 183]. Remove the brown scales and then steam the leaves in very little water[213]. The young shoots have been sold as delicacies in Asian markets[213].
Root - cooked[105, 161, 177, 183]. A famine food, it is only used in times of scarcity[213].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Galactogogue Poultice Women's complaints.

Sensitive fern has not been much used medicinally. However, one native North American Indian tribe did employ it quite widely to treat various women's complaints[257].
An infusion of the root has been used to treat the pain following childbirth[257]. A decoction of the roots has been used to treat fertility in women, to give strength after childbirth, to start the menses, and to treat swellings, cramps and a sore abdomen[257].
An infusion of the whole plant, or just the root, has been applied externally to full breasts where the milk will not flow[257].
A poultice of the plant is used in treating deep cuts[257].

Other Uses

Ground cover Hair.

A decoction of the plant has been used as a hair wash to help prevent baldness[257].
This species has a freely-running rootstock and makes an effective ground cover plant[200, 233]. Although it is deciduous its decomposing ferns make an effective weed suppressing mulch[200]. Plants should be spaced about 1 metre apart each way[208].

Cultivation details

Prefers a moist light soil in partial shade[187]. Requires a damp humus-rich site in partial shade with preferably only 2 - 3 hours of sun daily[200]. Plants require an abundance of water at the roots all year round[1] and they grow well in a bog or woodland garden, or on the water's edge where they may grow out over the water[200]. Requires a pH in the range 5 - 6.5[200]. Plants can colonize most situations that are not too dry and are sheltered from harsh winds[200].
A very hardy plant, the rootstock can tolerate temperatures down to about -30° c[200].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].
A very ornamental[1] and easily grown fern, spreading quite vigorously by means of a slender far-creeping rhizome when it is established[187]. It can become invasive in suitable conditions[200].
The fronds die quickly with the first autumn frosts[187], which is why the plant has gained its common name of the sensitive fern[200].

Propagation

Spores - best sown as soon as they are ripe on the surface of a humus-rich sterilized soil. Keep the compost moist, preferably by putting a plastic bag over the pot. Pot on small clumps of plantlets as soon as they are large enough to handle and keep them in humid conditions until they are well established. Do not plant outside until the ferns are at least 2 years old.
Division of underground rhizomes, October to March.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[159] McPherson. A. and S. Wild Food Plants of Indiana. Indiana University Press 1977 ISBN 0-253-28925-4
A nice pocket guide to this region of America.

[161] Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.

[172] Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

[213] Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980 ISBN 0-449-90589-6
A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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