Fauna
Plant

Common Bracken

Pteridium aquilinum

Also known as Bracken, Brake, Pasture Brake, Eagle Fern

Common bracken unfurls massive, triangular fronds each spring from an extensive underground network of deep rhizomes. These aggressive ferns colonize acidic soils, forming dense, monotypic thickets that shade out competing vegetation and persist as copper-colored dieback through winter. Their fronds release biochemical compounds that suppress rival plant germination, reshaping entire upland landscapes.

FernCosmopolitanPerennial
Common Bracken reference1 / 7
(c) Timothy McNitt, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Timothy McNitt · cc-by
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preySunlight, Water, Soil Minerals
Predators
  • Bracken Moth Caterpillars
  • Sawfly Larvae
ThreatsHabitat management, mechanical clearing, herbicide application
HabitatsWoodlands, heathlands, moorlands, pastures, disturbed soils
Life spanPerennial (rhizomes live for decades)
Classification
  1. OrderPolypodiales
  2. FamilyDennstaedtiaceae
  3. GenusPteridium
  4. SpeciesPteridium aquilinum
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskHigh
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is high
All parts contain dangerous carcinogenic compounds; do not consume or feed to livestock.
Why it is dangerous
Contains ptaquiloside, a potent carcinogenic glycoside that causes severe gastrointestinal damage and tumors.
How to recognize a risky encounter
Look for stiff, triangular fronds growing individually from underground runners rather than tufted clumps.
What to do
Do not consume any part of the plant and avoid inhaling dust or spores when clearing fronds.
Responsible observation
  • Identification: Search for coarse, broadly triangular fronds branching three times from a single stalk.
  • Seasonal Dynamics: Observe green summer fields turn to golden copper in late autumn.
  • Spore Exposure: Avoid inhaling dense spore clouds released from mature late-summer fronds.
Related species
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