western australia

endurance riding

Bracken - an unwelcome plant

Bracken

@JudyEv (325346)

Rockingham, Australia

September 26, 2022 9:56pm CST

In the south-west of Western Australia, there are many areas which are infested with bracken (Pteridium), a large coarse fern. Bracken is found on every continent except Antarctica and in every climatic region except deserts. Bracken was once used for animal bedding, soap and glass making, tanning and fertiliser but it is now regarded in a much less favourable light. It is highly invasive and toxic to many domestic animals. Farmers in my state have fought a mostly losing battle with this plant. The usual method of control is by using a toxic spray. The photo shows a frond of dead bracken. I was intrigued by the way the tiny fronds curled towards each other as though hugging an invisible body.

19 people like this

17 responses

@rsa101 (37933)

• Philippines

27 Sep 22

That is interesting, I wonder if they can still be used for what it used to be. Maybe harvesting them for those might also lessen their growth and there is no need to spray toxic spray which can also harm animals and humans in the end.

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@rsa101 (37933)

• Philippines

28 Sep 22

@JudyEv It is just sad that a plant will need to be eradicated because we don't find any used for it. But I think their existence here has some purpose too.

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

28 Sep 22

@rsa101 I'm sure it has a purpose in its original habitat but maybe not when it's transplanted to other areas.

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

27 Sep 22

It would be good if a use could be found for it.

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@HomewardBound (551)

•

27 Sep 22

I had never heard of bracken. It does seem to be hugging an imaginary friend!

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

27 Sep 22

It is really invasive in our south-west regions.

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@allknowing (130067)

• India

28 Sep 22

They invaded my whole garden but they do look pretty. Had to pull them out unwillingly.

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@allknowing (130067)

• India

28 Sep 22

@JudyEv This is just a tip of the ice berg. The leaves were tall as well - almost 5' plus.

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

28 Sep 22

@allknowing The conditions there must have suited it very well.

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

28 Sep 22

It's a shame when an attractive plant starts to take over the whole garden.

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@LadyDuck (457363)

• Switzerland

27 Sep 22

Shame that this is an invasive and dangerous because it looks pretty.

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@LadyDuck (457363)

• Switzerland

27 Sep 22

@JudyEv This is surely not good. I have fern in the garden and I admit that I cannot get rid of it.

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

28 Sep 22

@LadyDuck I'm sure there are other ferns that are probably just as invasive.

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

27 Sep 22

It has taken over vast acreages of land and is very hard to control.

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@DaddyEvil (137145)

• United States

27 Sep 22

I've never seen bracken before and didn't know it had been used for many things in the past. Very interesting. Thank you.

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

27 Sep 22

You're welcome. I only ever knew it as a pest until I read up about it.

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@CarolDM (203454)

• Nashville, Tennessee

27 Sep 22

Good to know the toxic plants for sure. We have many in our country to look out for as well.

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

28 Sep 22

A lot of ours have been introduced from other countries over the years. I believe one of our eucalypts is now a pest in parts of California.

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@CarolDM (203454)

• Nashville, Tennessee

28 Sep 22

@JudyEv So many are brought into the country through freight as well.

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Sep 22

@CarolDM That's how some of our animal pests get brought in too.

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@GardenGerty (157485)

• United States

28 Sep 22

I have often wondered just what bracken was. It shows up in many books I read.

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@Fleura (29097)

• United Kingdom

28 Sep 22

I have tried to show a picture but it won't upload for some reason. It looks typically fern-like, but I think it's the only type of fern that is branched, and it can grow to 5 or 6 feet tall. It's a bit disorientating if you find yourself wandering about in a thicket of it!

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

28 Sep 22

@Fleura That certainly looks like it.

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

28 Sep 22

I think there might be a few different species but they probably all look much the same.

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@BarBaraPrz (45437)

• St. Catharines, Ontario

27 Sep 22

It looks like very fine wrought-iron filligree work. Spray-painted gold, of course. I wonder what a bouquet of them would look like (spray-painted gold, of course

)

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

28 Sep 22

That's a good idea. It's very pretty, as you say and would look lovely painted gold.

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@divalounger (5849)

• United States

27 Sep 22

Bracken might be the equivalent of my blackberry bushes--It feels like a losing battle--but I keep after them

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

28 Sep 22

We have a blackberry problem too in much the same areas. At least bracken isn't prickly.

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@rebelann (111073)

• El Paso, Texas

27 Sep 22

Yeah, I haven't seen those around here but with the new climate that seems to be taking hold that could change.

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

27 Sep 22

We always believed it preferred the wetter areas.

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@JESSY3236 (18886)

• United States

27 Sep 22

pretty picture.

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

28 Sep 22

I like the way the fronds curl round towards each other.

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@Ronrybs (17837)

• London, England

27 Sep 22

I have seen it around here, but didn't realise it was such a pest species

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

28 Sep 22

It's really bad in our south-west.

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@Ronrybs (17837)

• London, England

28 Sep 22

@JudyEv I have seen it around here, but couldn't tell you where

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@magallon (19280)

• Philippines

27 Sep 22

Those are called ferns here in the Philippines. These ferns are commonly used for stage decorations or wreaths. Ferns or bracken ferns contain toxic compounds that are poisonous to livestock and humans.

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

27 Sep 22

I'm sure that's the same substance. It is found throughout most of the world.

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@LindaOHio (155568)

• United States

27 Sep 22

Invasive species wreak havoc with a country's ecosystem.

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

28 Sep 22

They certainly do. We have quite a few introduced species that do a lot of damage to our ecosystems.

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@RebeccasFarm (86517)

• United States

29 Sep 22

It is lovely looking like most deadly things

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

30 Sep 22

That's so true.

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@Fleura (29097)

• United Kingdom

28 Sep 22

We used to have a lot of it around my home area too, but now some land has been cleared. There's still plenty left though! Recently some has popped up in our garden, which was a surprise as there isn't a lot in this area. One producer started selling garden compost made with bracken and sheep's wool and I have used some of that in the past so I wondered if some spores had sneaked through!

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

28 Sep 22

Some of these pests are very opportunistic and very hard to eradicate once they get established.

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@Beestring (13273)

• Hong Kong

27 Sep 22

Never heard of bracken. Thanks for the interesting information.

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@JudyEv (325346)

• Rockingham, Australia

27 Sep 22

It's very common in our south-west regions.

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