The Ostrich Fern, 'Matteuccia struthiopteris', is tall with lovely feather-like fronds and delightful yellow-green leaves with a graceful arch. It grows from a completely vertical crown, and it sends out lateral stolons to form new crowns. It can form dense colonies resistant to destruction by floodwaters. It likes moist thickets, especially along streams and rivers. Its growth pattern is a symmetric clump and is a popular ornamental plant in gardens. Whether used in borders or as a background, ferns enhance any garden with their gracefulness and their beautiful varying shades of green. Easy to grow almost anyplace...thrive even when other plants fail.