This widespread northern species (part of a circumboreal complex) is widely grown for ornamental use and, sometimes, for its edible "fiddleheads". The distinction of North American plants from Eurasian remains remains unclear; W states that they have "iconcolorous rhizome scales (vs. bicolorous scales) and less truncate pinna lobes". There are records of native plants in southern Ohio and W.Va. (K). Also, it has been reported as naturalzied across much of Ark.,well south of its main range (Peck 2011). However,, there are no records of native or naturalized plants in Ky. Unusually robust plants,of Matteuccia, with fronds up to 2 m long, have been sold under the cultivar names "King" or "Jumbo" and appear to have more tolerance of warm temperatures across southeastern states (missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/...). They have established vigorously in a wild garden at the base of a north-facing slope near the Kentucky River in FRAN (D. Adams, pers. comm.) The origin of such robust plants remains obscure. Matteuccia has "rhizomes of 2 types, the slender, creeping rhizomes leafless, giving rise at intervals to extremely stout, vertical rhizomes which bear a cluster of many leaves" (W)