Matteuccia struthiopteris Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Matteuccia struthiopteris — 11cm / 0.75L11cm / 0.75L
Ostrich Fern (Shuttlecock Fern)

Matteuccia struthiopteris

£6.99 £7.99 SAVE 12%
Very hardyShade-tolerantRHS award winner
Pot size
11cm / 0.75L £6.99

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Description

Matteuccia struthiopteris, the ostrich fern or shuttlecock fern, is one of the most architectural and rewarding hardy ferns you can grow. In spring, tightly coiled croziers push up from the crown and unfurl into a perfect vase-shaped rosette of soft, feathery, bright green fronds, arranged like the plumes of an ostrich tail or the flights of a shuttlecock. Few foliage plants bring such fresh, sculptural elegance to a shady garden, which is exactly why this ostrich fern has long been an RHS Award of Garden Merit favourite.

Key features

  • Striking shuttlecock rosettes of fresh green fronds reaching 1 to 1.5 m tall
  • Spreads gently by underground runners to form handsome naturalised colonies
  • Distinctive stiff, brown fertile fronds that stand through winter for added structure
  • Fully hardy and superbly easy in damp, shady spots where little else thrives

This is a fern that earns its keep in the trickiest corners. It loves moist, humus-rich, neutral to acid soil and is one of the few ferns happy in heavy, damp clay or beside a pond or stream. Plant it in dappled or full shade with shelter from drying winds, dig in plenty of leaf mould or compost, and keep the soil reliably moist while the crown establishes. From a single plant, slender stolons quietly travel outward, sending up new shuttlecocks until you have a lush, fern-filled drift, perfect for woodland borders, bog gardens and damp town gardens alike.

As a deciduous fern, it dies back gracefully in autumn and rests dormant below ground, reliably resprouting each spring without any winter protection. Hardy right across the UK (RHS H7), Matteuccia struthiopteris shrugs off the coldest winters, and the unfurling spring fiddleheads are famously eaten as a delicacy in some regions once thoroughly cooked. Whether you are after a bold ground-covering statement or a touch of woodland romance, the shuttlecock fern delivers fresh green theatre season after season.

Every ostrich fern we send out is a strong, well-rooted plant, carefully grown and selected so it settles in quickly and starts colonising your shady spaces from its very first season.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Ostrich Fern (Shuttlecock Fern)

Give me sun with a little shade and the coldest UK winters do not worry me.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Ostrich Fern (Shuttlecock Fern)

Matteuccia struthiopteris needs partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is very hardy, standing the coldest UK winters outdoors.

Good for

Pots & Containers Shade

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

Hardy Exotic (H7): below −20°C. Very hardy; shrugs off the coldest UK winters.

Fully hardy across the UK (RHS H7), withstanding hard winter frosts down to around -20C without protection. The fronds die back completely in autumn and the crown rests dormant underground, reliably resprouting each spring, so no winter wrapping or lifting is needed. Read moreShow less

Fully hardy across the UK (RHS H7), withstanding hard winter frosts down to around -20C without protection. The fronds die back completely in autumn and the crown rests dormant underground, reliably resprouting each spring, so no winter wrapping or lifting is needed.

Position

Partial shadeNorth-facingEast-facingWest-facingSheltered
Happiest in dappled or full shade with shelter from drying winds and harsh midday sun. A north, east or west-facing border, woodland edge or pondside suits it perfectly; deep shade is tolerated provided the soil stays damp. Read moreShow less

Happiest in dappled or full shade with shelter from drying winds and harsh midday sun. A north, east or west-facing border, woodland edge or pondside suits it perfectly; deep shade is tolerated provided the soil stays damp.

Soil

ClayLoamMoist but well-drainedPoorly-drainedAcid pHNeutral pH
Thrives in moist, humus-rich, neutral to acid soil and is one of the few ferns that copes with heavy, damp clay and even seasonally waterlogged ground. Dig in leaf mould or garden compost before planting and mulch each spring to lock in moisture. Read moreShow less

Thrives in moist, humus-rich, neutral to acid soil and is one of the few ferns that copes with heavy, damp clay and even seasonally waterlogged ground. Dig in leaf mould or garden compost before planting and mulch each spring to lock in moisture.

Watering

Keep the soil consistently moist for the first one to two seasons while the crown and runners establish, never letting it dry out in summer. Once settled in suitably damp ground it is largely self-reliant, only needing watering during prolonged dry spells. Read moreShow less

Keep the soil consistently moist for the first one to two seasons while the crown and runners establish, never letting it dry out in summer. Once settled in suitably damp ground it is largely self-reliant, only needing watering during prolonged dry spells.

Mature size

Height1-1.5 m
SpreadIndefinite (spreads by runners, 1 m+)

Reaches full size in 2-5 years

Growth habit

Clump-forming

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Deciduous

Pruning

Cut the collapsed fronds back to the crown in late autumn or late winter; the shuttlecocks reappear each spring.

Toxicity

No reported toxicity to people or pets; the unfurling spring croziers (fiddleheads) are eaten as a vegetable after thorough cooking, though raw or undercooked fronds can cause stomach upset

Native range

N temperate regions (Europe, Asia, N America)

Family

Onocleaceae

Also known as

Matteuccia struthiopteris

Genus

Matteuccia
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the ostrich fern hardy enough to leave outside in winter in the UK?

Yes, it is fully hardy throughout the UK (RHS H7) and needs no winter protection. The fronds naturally die back in autumn and the crown overwinters dormant underground, sending up fresh shuttlecocks again each spring.

Where is the best place to plant Matteuccia struthiopteris?

Choose a shady or partly shaded, sheltered spot with reliably moist soil, such as a woodland border, the edge of a pond or stream, or a damp corner where little else will grow. It dislikes hot, dry, sunny positions.

How big does the shuttlecock fern get and does it spread?

Each elegant rosette reaches around 1 to 1.5 m tall with a similar arching spread. It travels underground by runners to form colonies over time, so give it room or plant where its naturalising habit is welcome.

Is it evergreen or does it die back?

It is deciduous, so the soft green sterile fronds collapse with the first autumn frosts. The stiff, brown spore-bearing fronds stand on through winter, adding structure before the new croziers unfurl in spring.

Is the ostrich fern safe around pets and children?

Yes, it has no reported toxicity and is considered safe around cats, dogs and children. The young spring fiddleheads are even eaten as a vegetable in some regions, though only after thorough cooking.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
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From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

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All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

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Matteuccia struthiopteris
£6.99 £7.99