Pteridium Aquilinum
Pteridium aquilinum
Ferns Difficulty: Easy
📖 About this plant
Pteridium aquilinum (bracken fern or ‘Pteridium aquilinum’ in Odia, also called Dhekia) is a large aggressive fern of the Dennstaedtiaceae family — one of the world’s most widely distributed plants. Young fronds (fiddleheads) are eaten as a vegetable (after cooking). The plant contains carcinogenic ptaquiloside and is a serious weed of pastures.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
☀️
Light
Full sun
💧
Water
Regular; moderately drought-tolerant
💨
Humidity
Moderate
🌡️
Temperature
15-38°C
🪴
Soil
Well-draining loam
🧪
Fertilizer
Compost annually
🌐 Common Names
HI
Hindi
Pteridium Aquilinum
BN
Bengali
Pteridium Aquilinum
MR
Marathi
Pteridium Aquilinum
TE
Telugu
Pteridium Aquilinum
TA
Tamil
Pteridium Aquilinum
GU
Gujarati
Pteridium Aquilinum
UR
Urdu
Pteridium Aquilinum
KN
Kannada
Pteridium Aquilinum
OR
Odia
Pteridium Aquilinum
ML
Malayalam
Pteridium Aquilinum
PA
Punjabi
Pteridium Aquilinum
AS
Assamese
Pteridium Aquilinum
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Indian Subcontinent
- 📏 Max height
- 10-20 m
- 📐 Spread
- 4-6 m
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Spring
- 🎨 Bloom color
- White-yellow
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- 40+ years
- 📈 Growth rate
- Moderate
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Mild — contains carcinogenic compounds (ptaquiloside); cooked fronds eaten as vegetable in some regions
- 🌱 Propagation
- Seeds
🛡️ Health & Safety
Common issues
- Leaf spot
- caterpillar defoliation
💡 Care tips
- Plant in well-draining soil with appropriate light.
- Tolerates Indian tropical conditions.
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