Male fern - formerly known as an anthelmintic. Today, gardeners know it as a plant for making liquid manure, which is said to help against snails and other vermin.

Male fern is poisonous and was formerly used as a wormer

Profile of the worm fern

  • Plant family and genus: Shield ferns, Male ferns
  • Latin name: Dryopteris filix-mas
  • Occurrence: forests
  • Growth: clump-like, spreading, upright
  • leaves: bipinnate
  • Spore maturation: July to September
  • Location: semi-shady to shady
  • Care: no special care necessary
  • Propagation: spores, division of the rhizome
  • Special features: poisonous

The much-named male fern in its home

The male fern is known by the other names real male fern, common male fern, common male fern and male fern. It can be found in many places in Europe. It prefers to inhabit the European forests, preferring pine and beech forests. It can grow up to altitudes of 2,600 m.

Toxic to humans and animals

Its rhizomes and stems in particular are considered extremely poisonous. The young plants stand out especially with their poison potential. Although male fern was used for worming in earlier times, consumption is not recommended. Not infrequently, these wormers ended in serious poisoning and even death.

The male fern is not only poisonous for humans. Animals such as grazing horses, goats, sheep and cows should also be wary of him. In addition, pets such as cats, dogs, guinea pigs and rabbits are at risk. The main toxins, so-called butanophloroglucide, lead to nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, cardiac insufficiency and motor disorders when consumed.

A closer look at his exterior

A thick and horizontally growing rootstock sits in the soil. Blackish roots are attached to it. A 1 to 1.40 m high plant shoots out of the root system on the surface. It grows quickly in lime-poor soil if planted in the shade.

Most of the male fern is winter green. Its bipinnate leaves are up to 140 cm long. Here are more features:

  • funnel-shaped fronds
  • short stem
  • tapering
  • light to dark green
  • 20 to 35 pinnae on midrib
  • Pinnae sawn sharply at the edge
  • spores appear underneath

tips and tricks

The male fern, which regularly changes generations, can quickly be mistaken for the lady fern. But in contrast to the dainty lady fern, the male fern has fewer finely distributed fronds.

Category:

Vegetable garden