What type of fern is bracken?

Bracken (Pteridium) is a genus of large, coarse ferns in the family Dennstaedtiaceae. Ferns (Pteridophyta) are vascular plants that have alternating generations, large plants that produce spores and small plants that produce sex cells (eggs and sperm). Brackens are noted for their large, highly divided leaves.

How do you tell the difference between a fern and a bracken?

Ferns are bi-pinnate, which means that the leaflets divide twice to produce the easily recognised fronds. Bracken, on the other hand, is tri-pinnate. This means that the leaflets divide three times, giving each frond its own tiny frondlets – like a little green comb.

Are ferns and bracken the same?

Bracken is the UK’s most common fern and grows in dense stands on heathland, moorland, hillsides and in woodland. It is a large fern that favours dry, acid soils and spreads by underground rhizomes. Unlike many ferns, bracken dies back in winter, leaving brown, withered fronds that pepper the landscape.

Why is bracken fern bad?

For a long time scientists have known that bracken contains a carcinogenic compound called ptaquiloside (PTQ), but thought it dangerous only if eaten. Scientists have already shown that the PTQs ingested from eating bracken can increase your chances of getting gastric and oesophageal cancer.

Why is bracken a problem?

Bracken is allelopathic; releases chemicals that inhibit both the growth of other plants as well as mycorrhizal development. The spores of bracken are carcinogenic and it has been suggested that the custom of eating bracken in the Far East has been linked to the higher rates of stomach cancer in these regions.

What is bracken good for?

Bracken was much used in the past for animal bedding, as a covering for potato clamps and as a source of potash for glassmaking. The fronds make good compost for use as a soil improver and together with manure and sheep.

How do I identify bracken fern?

Bracken fern is very common and tends to form large colonies through underground rhizomes. It is easy to identify as it is a relatively large fern with 3 broadly triangular compound leaves, often held horizontally, at the top of a long stem.

Does bracken grow under trees?

Bracken ‘prefers’ dry, somewhat acid soils though it can grow in a fairly wide pH range. It spreads by means of its underground rhizomes (modified underground stems), sometimes at a rate of one metre per year.

Where is bracken fern native to?

Native Distribution: Much of the eastern US, FL to TX to MA, IN, MO, and OK. In Texas, in east Texas and the southern Blackland Prairie as far west as Wilson County.

Is bracken fern toxic to humans?

All parts of bracken fern, including rootstocks, fresh or dry leaves, fiddleheads, and spores, contain toxic compounds that are poisonous to livestock and humans. Poisoning often occurs in spring when young shoots sprout and during late summer when other feed is scarce.

How do I get rid of bracken ferns in my garden?

For gardeners, glyphosate is the most effective weedkiller available for controlling bracken.

How fast does bracken grow?

in the soil, and the expansion of bracken by rhizome spread along a front has been recorded at up to 1.27 metres in a year.