Are ferns edible

Answer 1

Yes; some varieties are edible. The ostrich fern--or fiddlehead, as it is commonly called--is quite delicious.

The name, fiddlehead, comes from the distinctive look of the tender green shoots when they emerge from the ground in late spring. This fern is best picked when the coiled leaves are about an inch in diameter and are partially covered in a papery brown scale. It is worth noting that nearly all fern shoots resemble fiddlehead ferns; however, non-fiddlehead ferns may be distinguished because their sheaths are fuzzy or woolly.