OCEANSCAPE NETWORK
  • Home
  • Virtual Explorations
    • The Stream
  • Explore
  • Experience
  • Educate
Bracken fern
Vascular Plant
See me at the Aquarium
EXPLORE > PLANTS > VASCULAR PLANTS

Pteridium aquilinum

​One of the most common coastal ferns is the bracken fern. In fact, there’s no other fern as widely distributed as this one. The plant is recognizable by its large, solitary fronds which break into triangular blades. The fronds are normally a dark green, but can become yellow during periods of drought.

Ferns reproduce in several different ways but do not produce seeds or fruit. Large plants will eject spores into the air while younger ones will produce eggs and sperm. When reproducing sexually, the sperm rely on water to reach the eggs of another plant, thus the plant’s close association with wet environments. Because it grows on a rhizome, the plant can also “clone” itself. Using a combination of these reproductive processes, bracken fern will form dense thickets with large specimens growing along a rhizome which can stretch up to 8 feet (2.4 m). Once established, these fern colonies perform a similar ecological function as a forest canopy; providing shelter and collecting moisture on its leaves which benefits other plants living beneath them.

Young ferns, known as fiddleheads, are a delicacy in some parts of the world but are now a suspected carcinogen.

​Distribution

The bracken fern is one of the oldest and most successful ferns on earth. Its ancestors date back 55 million years and it can be found on every continent except Antarctica. They are common along lake shores, wetlands and in both wet and dry forests.

Conservation Status

Common.
Picture
Picture
About Oceanscape
The Oregon Coast Aquarium's Oceanscape Network is an educational program for youth designed to inspire curiosity in science, nature, conservation and outdoor exploration while providing valuable classroom resources for educators. MORE.
Quick Links
​Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads
Site Updates | For Educators | For Youth | Translate This Website | Contact Form | Privacy Policy | Conditions of Use | Website Accessibility
Finding the Aquarium
2820 SE Ferry Slip Road, Newport, Oregon 97365
(541) 867-3474 | oceanscape@aquarium.org
Oceanscape Network © 2023 by the Oregon Coast Aquarium. All rights reserved. 
  • Home
  • Virtual Explorations
    • The Stream
  • Explore
  • Experience
  • Educate