Are fiddleheads and ferns related?

Yes. Fiddleheads are young fern fronds that have not yet opened up. Fiddleheads are named for their appearance, which resembles the scroll at the head or top of a fiddle. They often appear on menus in the eastern United States during springtime. Many fern species produce these edible shoots, which have a unique texture but taste a bit like asparagus. They include the ostrich fern, the bracken fern, the royal fern, and cinnamon and flowering ferns.