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Cinnamon Fern

Osmundastrum cinnamomeum

28
Good

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
2–6 feet
Spread
2–4 feet
Light
Dappled sunlight, Deep shade, Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Usually moist

Space about 3 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 11 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
Spring
Fruiting season
Spring

Recorded in 65 Alabama counties.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 153 animals.

All wildlife of Alabama

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

7CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Osmunda

  • Euplexia benesimilisAmerican Angle Shades
  • Fagitana litteraMarsh Fern Moth
  • Herpetogramma aeglealisSerpentine Webworm
  • Olethreutes osmundanaFern Olethreutes
  • Pandemis limitataThree-Lined Leafroller Moth
  • Papaipema speciosissimaOsmunda Borer
  • Herpetogramma theseusalis
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
0BeesSoutheastern regional records
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Osmundaceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic
Flower color
Orange
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Grows in clumps
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Spring
Fruit ends
Spring

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “Spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Flower color · “Orange” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit begins · “Spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit ends · “Spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth habit · “Grows in clumps” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Hardiness · “Zones 4a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Height · “2–6 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Minnesota Wildflowers differ)
  • Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Light · “Dappled sunlight (shade through upper canopy all day); Deep shade (less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight); Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain differ)
  • Soil · “Moist; Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain differ)
  • Soil pH · “Acidic” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Spread · “2–4 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as

Osmunda cinnamomea; Osmunda cinnamomea var. cinnamomea; fern

Conservation status

Alabama rankSNR
Global rankG5
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources