"jeano" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi!

Am in the Chicagoland area. I ran across a beautiful fern in the
Pacific Northwest which I believe is called Fiddle Head Fern. I am
looking for this fern here in the midwest and can't find it. I tried
to buy this fern in Seattle but was told it was an indigenous wild fern
and that no one sells it. Nor could I transplant one.. Any info
would be greatly appreciated.


Like Paghat said, the ostrich fern is sold as fiddlehead. I live in zone 6,
SW Ohio and have several. I got them about five years ago and planted them
in a rather dry shady area assuming that a fern would like a woodland
setting, not considering that "woodland" doesn't necessarily mean "good." A
couple died and the remaining thee or four merely hung-on. I transplanted
them to a location with better soil, more moisture, and more sun. They
started to multiply and spread. This year they are HUGE and several new
ones have appeared. So they are definitely available, will live outside the
Pacific NW, and can easily be transplanted. I moved mine in the late
spring. I would recommend a site with well amended soil and even moisture.
Mine seem to do well with morning sun on the east side of the property.
http://museum.gov.ns.ca/poison/ostrich.htm