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This large, majestic fern has an RHS Award of Garden Merit and earns its name the Royal Fern. Osmunda regalis forms a bushy crown of massive fronds that measure up to 6ft tall. The new, upright fronds emerge vivid acid green and create a striking display in spring. As the fronds mature they become pendulous and are accompanied by erect, fertile fronds that appear from the centre of the crown and look like rusty brown flowerheads, which continues to be an eye-catching feature throughout winter. Osmunda regalis makes a superb specimen fern for acid soils that remain reliably moist, bog gardens and pond and stream margins. This native fern is becoming increasingly rare in the wild and deserves to be more widely grown. Height: 2m (6.5ft). Spread: 1m (3.2ft).