Bracken Plant : Complete Guide And Care Tips

Bracken Plant: Complete Guide and Care Tips

Gardening is not just about planting beautiful flowers or growing vegetables in your backyard; it’s also about exploring new plants that can add a unique touch to your garden.

Bracken plant is one such plant that can add to the beauty of your garden.

In this article, we will take a closer look at the bracken plant, its characteristics, and how you can take care of it.

What is Bracken Plant?

Bracken Plant (Pteridium aquilinum) is a perennial fern native to Europe, Africa, and Asia but widely spread across the world due to human activities.

It has several common names such as Eagle Fern, Brake Fern, or Western Fern depending on the region.

The bracken fern grows up to 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide with green fronds that resemble feathers.

Characteristics of Bracken Plant

The bracken plant has several characteristics that make it stand out from other plants:

• The fronds are triangular-shaped with serrated edges.
• The leaves grow in clusters from rhizomes underground.
• The young foliage is coiled-up while mature foliage unfurls into feathery fronds.
• The leaves have a distinctive aroma when crushed.
• It reproduces through spores released under specific conditions like dry weather or fire outbreak which encourage germination and growth quickly after moisture returns

Caring for Bracken Plants: Tips and Tricks

Growing braken ferns requires little effort as they don’t need much attention once established:

Sunlight Requirements:

Bracken ferns grow well in partial shade or full sun.

However, they prefer bright indirect light and do not tolerate extreme heat or cold temperatures.

Plant them where they can get the right amount of sunlight.

Soil Requirements:

The plant prefers moist soil that is fertile, well-draining, and slightly acidic.

You can add organic matter such as compost to improve soil quality before planting.

Watering:

Bracken ferns require regular watering during the growing season but do not like standing water around their roots.

Water them deeply once a week or when the top inch of soil is dry to touch

Fertilizing:

Avoid fertilizing bracken plants as it encourages lush growth which makes it susceptible to pests and diseases.

Incorporating compost into the soil before planting will provide enough nutrients for healthy growth

Pests and Diseases

Bracken plants are generally disease-free but can be prone to some pests such as spider mites or aphids that suck sap from leaves causing yellowing, stunted growth, curled leaves,mottled foliage among others.

In Conclusion

If you’re looking for a unique plant that requires minimal effort when it comes to care, then Bracken Plant should be on your list! Its beautiful green fronds give gardens an exotic feel while adding texture at no extra cost! Just make sure it gets adequate water supply and light conditions all year round from seeding through establishment periods so you’ll have yourself thriving braken ferns in no time!