Bracken is an extremely successful and resilient species found in a wide range of habitats – but the dense banks of green growth which emerge each summer are only part of the plant. In the aftermath of each growing season, bracken draws nutrients down into the ground where they are stored in a deep, dense network of roots (called rhizomes).

Bracken will die back to a yellow/brown colour and often appears to be dead during the winter, but rhizomes remain alive underground. Any attempt to control bracken must take this root system into account.

This Bracken Control Guide provides further information on bracken management including the following:

• The nature and ecology of bracken

• The importance of management over longer periods

• The significance of various control mechanisms, including cutting and trampling with livestock