Bracken fern

 Technical index:

Bracken is one of the fastest spreading plants in the world. Each year, from its European centre of origin, it spreads six miles in every direction across the globe. 

Bracken is a carcinogenic species releasing poisonous spores in the autumn.

Often you will see bracken covering entire mountains especially in the west where it grows up into the wild heather. 

As many of our customers are sowing seed onto soil that once had bracken, they should be warned that it is very difficult to eradicate. The best solution to control bracken is to plant native trees of a fast growing type such as Larch and Scots Pine. When these trees establish after ten years sow a woodland flora.

If you wish to eradicate Bracken, strip the soil making sure not to leave any roots of the bracken and sow a mixture suitable for an acid soil. 

But think twice before stripping the soil as often the bracken will leave a humus rich topsoil which is very valuable and will grow wild flowers even if bracken persists. 

It will be the choice of maintenance and regular cutting that will control the bracken and will allow a wildflower meadow to exist. 

When trees are established on a bracken soil especially Scots Pine, you will attract rare parrot like crossbills which visit Ireland in winter.