How to Plant Cinnamon Fern Root

Fertile fronds emerge in spring and are covered in spores.

Cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) prefers moist to wet soil and at least dappled shade. If you wish to grow this fern in full sun, choose a very wet site where standing water will prevent it from drying out. When the fern outgrows its initial site and you wish to establish new cinnamon fern plants elsewhere in the garden, you'll have to divide the roots. This process is known as root division. This particular plant has semi-woody rhizomes, which spread underground as the plant grows. Divide the plant in autumn or early spring.

Things You'll Need

• Gardening fork
• Sharp knife or spade

Instructions

1. Lift the root system from the ground with a gardening fork. Gently brush away the soil that covers the roots so you can examine the entire system and determine which pieces to remove.

2. Use a sharp, clean knife or sharp spade to remove new growth from the edge of the root mass. Look for small nodes on the rhizome that indicate the existence of a budding plant and separate it from the rest of the system. This is known as edge division, according to Clemson University Extension, and it is the best way to divide a cinnamon fern.

3. Select a site in partial shade with moist, or even wet, soil. Make a shallow hole with one hand and place the new plant in it. Cover the rhizome lightly with soil, about an inch or so. If you are dividing in autumn and your area endures cold winters, be sure to cover the new planting with organic mulch, such as straw or grass clippings. This will protect the root over the winter and keep it from freezing.

4. Space plants about 24 inches apart. The cinnamon fern has a spread of 1 to 3 feet. For the best effect, give them about 2 feet of space to grow.

References

• Clemson Cooperative Extension: Hardy Ferns
• Floridata: Osmunda cinnamomea
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Osmunda cinnamomea