Western Bracken Fern, Brake, Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum)

June 2002, New Forest S. England.

That's very pretty! We have places around here similar to this, covered with cinnamon fern.

Hmm looks pretty in a photo. The reality is different.

Good morning Baa! Here's a picture of one of our fern-y areas. I think it's beautiful, and the things you find out amongst the ferns are really something! Weird fungus, wildflowers, etc.

Let me try again! LOL

Is this fern invasive like Bracken?

I'm not sure about that Baa. There are at least 3 different ferns in here, including the native Cinnamon. They sure will take over as an understory plant but of course don't go beyond the shaded area. Boston fern on the other hand has become a monster here in S Florida. It grows in trees, along roadsides and even in the foundations of overpasses, etc.

Interesting Floridian

I looked up the Cinnamon fern and couldn't find much information about invasiveness. Bracken can be a big problem here, it easily survives full sun and yet once it was an important crop that was often used to pay rents. I suspect since the collecting stopped the fern has just taken over.

So bracken has become a problem like so many other crops/plants that have become redundant - kudzu is the first that comes to my mind. Used to control erosion it is now the worst of the worst! Is bracken a fern? I see you have the category as perennial. Guess I need to go do some research!

This is native to the UK, I suppose a reduced deer and insect population has helped it to exploit areas where it can grow freely. It's not something that was grown as an agricultural crop but yes it was once a crop gathered from it's natural environment.

It's definitely a fern (spore producing, non flowerer) but at present there is no option for fern in the catagories of the PDB.

Great pictures you two.

Floridian, I'd like to see what Kudzu could do here in the desert. Unless watered it couldn't spread, could it? Could be controlled as a vine, perhaps? Haven't so far found any
source of seed.

Farizona, You probably can't find a source for seed because it's illegal to propagate this plant, at least here in the SE States. We have several plants here in Florida like that, Brazilian Pepper comes to mind first...I'm told property owners in N Florida are now being fined for allowing them to grow after years of warnings.