Bracken fern

Family: Dennstaedtiaceae
Scientific name: Pteridium esculentum
Description: Plant Form: Perennial fern. Size: Up to 1.5 m tall. Stem: Long creeping underground rhizome, from which large fern fronds arise. Leaves: Long, erect, stiff, leathery fronds. Large, up to 2 m long, deeply divided into narrow segments (pinnae) which are themselves deeply lobed but becoming more whole towards ends. Fruit and Seeds: Reproduce from spores, which are folded under the leaf edges. Habitat: This common native fern inhabits forests, woodlands, creeks, or coastal scrub. It is a weed on managed land for agriculture or forestry. Impacts: Note - this is a native species that is a weed on commercially productive land. Weed Status: Other Weed Weed Type: Environmental, Agricultural, Non-weedy Native Lookalike Lifeform: Herbaceous

Example images for this weed