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Ferns

Dennstaedtiaceae

Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum pubescens) is the most wide-ranging fern in BC. Stems, unlike those of most ferns, do not cluster from a compact base. Leaf margins have lines of spore cases. Bracken fern is found in moist coniferous forests at low elevations from Vancouver Island to the Rockies. During early spring, the young shoots of bracken fern uncurl in juicy stalks called fiddleheads. These can be eaten raw, cooked like asparagus or used in soups. Roasted roots can also be eaten if the outer skin is stripped and the insides pounded to separate the fibre from the edible part. They contain much starch and are best dug in autumn. It is wise to avoid eating large amounts of raw fiddleheads because they contain an enzyme, thiaminase, that destroys thiamine in the body. This can result in vitamin B1 deficiency. (Cooking deactivates thiaminase.)

The rhizomes of swordfern (Polystichum munitum) can be roasted and used as food, as can those of bracken fern. Swordfern forms dark green symmetrical fronds up to three feet long. The pinnules, or side leaves, are sharp-pointed and sharp-toothed, and the underside is brownish from the twin rows of spore cases. Swordfern is found on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, and in coastal forests.