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Osmunda regalis L. var. spectabilis
(Willd.) A. Gray
Royal fern

Osmunda regalis
Copyright by: George D. Gann

Family: Osmundaceae

Group: Pteridophyte

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Herb

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: Bermuda, eastern and central North America, the West Indies (Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica), Mexico and Central America.

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

State of Florida Status: Commercially Exploited

IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status: Apparently Secure

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Cultivated

Comments: Visit our Natives For Your Neighborhood website for more information and images. Reported by John Kunkel Small in 1918 for Royal Palm Hammock.

Other data on Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis available from :

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis has been found in the following 74 conservation areas :
Occurrence Native Status
Allapattah Flats Wildlife Management Area Present Native
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge Present Native
Babcock Ranch Preserve Present Native
Big Cypress National Preserve Present Native
Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve Present Native
Castellow Hammock parcel 28 Present Native
Castellow Hammock Park Presumed Extirpated Presumed Extirpated
Coconut Creek Maple Swamp Natural Area Present Native
Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW) Present Native
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Present Native
Cypress Knee Slough Preserve Present Native
Danforth Park Present Native
Deering Estate at Cutler Present Native
Delray Oaks Natural Area Present Native
Doris Davis Forman Wilderness Preserve Natural Area Present Native
Dupuis Reserve Present Native
Enchanted Forest Park Present Native
Estero Bay Preserve State Park Present Native
Everglades and Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area Present Native
Everglades National Park Present Native
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park Present Native
Fern Forest Nature Center Present Native
Fisheating Creek Wildlife Management Area Present Native
Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge Present Native
Fred C. Babcock-Cecil M. Webb Wildlife Management Area Present Native
Frenchman's Forest Natural Area Present Native
Frog Pond/L-31 N Transition Lands Present Native
Gomez Present Native
Grassy Waters Preserve Present Native
Halpatiokee Regional Park Present Native
Hawk's Hammock Park Present Native
Hillsboro Pineland Natural Area Present Native
Holey Land Wildlife Management Area Present Native
Holiday Hammock Present Native
J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area Present Native
Jonathan Dickinson State Park Present Native
Juno Dunes Natural Area Present Native
Jupiter Ridge Natural Area Present Native
Kiplinger Present Native
Koreshan State Historic Site Present Native
Long Key Natural Area & Nature Center Present Native
Loxahatchee River Natural Area Present Native
Loxahatchee River-Lake Worth Creek Aquatic Preserve Present Native
Loxahatchee Slough Natural Area Present Native
Lucille Hammock Present Native
Miramar Pineland Present Native
Navy Wells Pineland 23 Present Native
Navy Wells Pineland Preserve Present Native
Nicodemus Slough Present Native
Okeeheelee Park Present Native
Pal-Mar Present Native
Pal-Mar Natural Area Present Native
Peck Lake Park Present Native
Picayune Strand State Forest Present Native
Pine Jog Environmental Sciences Center Present Native
Pond Apple Slough Natural Area Present Native
Pond Cypress Natural Area Present Native
Railhead Scrub Preserve Present Native
Rotenberger Wildlife Management Area Present Native
Royal Palm Beach Pines Natural Area Present Native
Savannas Preserve State Park Present Native
Scrub Oak Park Present Native
Seabranch Preserve State Park Present Native
Secret Woods Nature Center Present Native
Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve Present Native
South Dade Wetlands Present Native
Southern Glades Present Native
Tall Cypress Natural Area Present Native
Tilton Present Native
Tradewinds Park & Stables Present Native
Tree Island Park Present Native
Tree Tops Park Present Native
Wild Turkey Strand Preserve Present Native
Woodmont Natural Area Present Native

Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis has been found in the following 10 counties :
Occurrence Native Status
Broward County Native
Charlotte County Native
Collier County Native
Glades County Native
Hendry County Native
Lee County Native
Martin County Native
Miami-Dade County Native
Monroe County (Mainland) Native
Palm Beach County Native

Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis has been found in the following 19 habitats :
Alluvial Forest
Basin Marsh
Baygall
Bayhead
Depression Marsh
Dome Swamp
Floodplain Marsh
Floodplain Swamp
Hydric Hammock
Marl Prairie
Mesic Flatwoods
Mesic Hammock
Prairie Hammock
Sinkhole
Slough
Strand Swamp
Swale
Wet Flatwoods
Wet Prairie

All Images:

Osmunda regalis
Copyright by: George D. Gann
Osmunda regalis
Copyright by: Susan Trammell
Osmunda regalis
Copyright by: Shirley Denton
Osmunda regalis
Copyright by: Susan Lerner, cultivated at Pan's Garden, Town of Palm Beach, Florida, USA.
Osmunda regalis
Copyright by: Susan Lerner, cultivated at Pan's Garden, Town of Palm Beach, Florida, USA.