How to Identify Fiddleheads

University of Maine Cooperative Extension demonstrates how to identify Maine fiddleheads.

[chuckeieio]

I just picked a shopping bag full and after reading about the toxic ones I was worried. Thank you so much for posting this video. It has set my mind at ease.

[SnowWalker]

God I love me some Fiddleheads!! Boiled until nice and tender and served with butter and a little vinegar. Yummy! I just bought a huge $15.00 dollar bag of them from the grocery store which is insane since they grow everywhere up here on the east coast of Lake Huron in Canada but I always miss their early harvest. I don't start thinking about them until it's too late but I'll pay the money because I just gotta have some every spring. I'll probably get another bag before they're all gone, lol.

[livelovemusic]

Yes, the deep U groove is the most recognized trait of the fiddlehead.

[swostikakiranshrestha]

are those parchment paper like thing spores???

[AdamIFall]

I have a question. Today, I found some ferns that fit the description of ostrich ferns(deep u on the inside of the stalk, suede leather texture) but they are very thin and small, much smaller than what I see here. Does this mean they are not ostrich ferns or just tiny ones? Thanks!

[roberthilton]

Is that not an ostrich fern? Fiddlehead fern is not a specific plant but any fern that grows a fiddlehead like so. There are several species of edible fiddlehead ferns.

[hmattyj]

I picked some fiddleheads near a book behind my house. After researching how to prepare them, I don't think I picked the right things. The fiddleheads I picked were covered with a soft hairy cover, not paper like. Are any fiddleheads ok to eat? I'm scared. I don't want to get sick. Thank you

[UraniumMan]

This video is a bit misleading, as he is implying that only this one species can be eaten. Maybe that's the case in Maine, though.

[sas]

At the end of the video the presenter confuses which fern to avoid and cautions against Ostridge Fern.

[andsim]

@hmattyj DO NOT EAT THE "WHITE FUZZY OR WHITE HAIRY" ONES MAN!!! I have picked fiddleheads for twenty some years. I have been told that the fuzzy / hairy ones are poisonous (this may not be true, but usually anything that looks like that in nature does not look safe to me anyway). The hairy ones you speak of are identical looking EXCEPT for the hairy / fuzzy stuff, and are often found close to the REAL ones.

[katierosekatierose]

Beautiful!! Nature is awesome. Just went on a hike and found myself in fiddlehead heaven, come to find they were all ostrich ferns - Better luck next year!

[jacqif]

"here to discuss fiddle heads, common name Ostrich fern" end of video, "be sure you are picking the fiddlehead fern not the Ostrich fern" Say what???

[MrPenobe]

lol what does it matter? as far as i'm concerned they can pick all they want so long as they stick to none tribal lands or get a permit to pick them on tribal land. my issue comes when people do it and don't take the time to learn the simple fact of picking them and either over pick the pods or use a knife to cut them off instead of picking them both can have a large effect on the survival of the plant. So the white men want to make some money big deal who doesn't