Plant
Cinnamon Fern
Osmundastrum cinnamomeumAlso known as Buckhorn Fern, Cinnamon Royal Fern
Cinnamon ferns form striking vase-shaped clumps in boggy woodlands and along stream banks across the Americas and eastern Asia. In mid-spring, slender fertile fronds rise from the center of the crown, ripening into an intense cinnamon-brown color as sporangia mature before withering away. Woolly fibers encasing the base of the rootstock protect new growth from frost and provide nesting material for songbirds.
PerennialWetlandNative
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyAutotrophic (Photosynthetic)
Predators
- White-tailed Deer
- Insects
ThreatsWetland drainage, habitat destruction
HabitatsSwamps, wet woodlands, bogs, stream margins
Life spanPerennial (decades)
Classification
- OrderOsmundales
- FamilyOsmundaceae
- GenusOsmundastrum
- SpeciesOsmundastrum cinnamomeum
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Look for fronds: Identify central cinnamon-colored fertile spikes surrounded by green sterile fronds in spring.
- Check leaf bases: Examine the base of fronds for residual tufts of orange-brown woolly hair.
Co-occurring Fern (c) Tom Norton, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tom Norton · cc-by
Close Relative E Wusk / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Marilyne Busque-Dubois, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Marilyne Busque-Dubois · cc-by
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