Is bracken poisonous to livestock?

Yes, bracken is toxic. Livestock may eat it when other forage is scarce or when it contaminates hay. Ptaquiloside can cause bone-marrow and bleeding disorders in cattle, while thiaminase poisoning mainly affects horses and pigs.

Why is bracken so hard to get rid of?

Bracken has an extensive underground rhizome system that stores energy and sends up new fronds after a single cut. Effective control is a long-term, site-specific job using repeated management; only currently authorised chemical treatments may be used.

Is bracken native to the UK or invasive?

Bracken is entirely native to Britain and has been here for millennia. It can become locally dominant, but it is not an invasive non-native species, and lighter bracken mosaics can support valuable wildlife.

Under Your Boots

The Bracken Advance: When One Fern Decides to Own the Entire Hillside

Bracken spreads with an underground network of rhizomes and can dominate a hillside, but this native fern can also support wildlife in lighter mosaics.

8 August 20267 min read