Ferns

NOTE: to search the list below press the “Ctrl” and “F” keys on your keyboard at the same time. Then type the name of the plant you are looking for (botanical or common name) and press enter.

Botanical Name	Common Name	Description
Adianantum pedatum	Maidenhair Fern	Delicate flattened sprays of green leaflets on thin dark stems. 12-20 inches tall, clump forming. Part shade to shade, rich moist soils
Athyrium filix-femina	Lady Fern	Has bright green fronds with very lacy texture. Grows 16-36 inches tall. Prefers sun to partial shade and moist, rich, well-drained soils.
Athyrium filix-femina Lady in Red	Lady in Red	Bright green fronds with very lacy texture and burgandy red stems. Grows 16-36 inches tall. Prefers sun to partial shade and moist, rich, wel-drained soils.
Dennstaedtia punctilobula	Hay-scented Fern	This fern tends to be aggressive and spreads readily. Great for erosion control. Gets its name from the scent of its crushed leaves.
Dryopteris linnaeana	Oak Fern	A shade loving fern found in moist woods, thickets, and swamps. Has 3 feather fronds on a stem. Grows 8 to 12 inches tall.
Dryopteris marginalis	Marginal Shield Fern, Leather Wood Fern	This fern can go from moist to dry, and shade to partial sun. It grows 18 to 30 inches tall. It has bluish green leathery fronds that are evergreen. When growing, it has a vase shape.
Matteuccia struthiopteris	Ostrich Fern	A fern with dark green fronds that emerge from central crown. Grows 21-72 inches tall. The fronds form a beaded plume persistent through winter. Prefers shade to partial sun and fertile, moist to wet soils. Best source for delicious fiddleheads! Will colonize if soil conditions are right.
Onoclea sensibilis	Sensitive Fern	A fern with pale green triangular fronds that grows 12-36 inches tall. Fertile fronds appear in summer but die with the first frost. The fruiting body remains as an interesting winter feature. Sun (if constantly moist) to shade, moist to wet soils are preferable.
Osmunda cinnamomea	Cinnamon Fern	Pinulate fronds form dense vase shaped clumps, enclosing â€œcinnamonâ€ stalks prominent in spring. Grows 30-60 inches tall. Prefers shade to sun (if wet) and moist to wet soils.
Osmunda claytoniana	Interrupted Fern	This fern has single fronds with spores in dark sacs about midway along. Grows 24-48 inches tall. Prefers shade to part shade with moist but well drained soils in upland sites.
Osmunda regalis	Royal Fern	A fern with bluish green twice pinulated fronds. Grows 24-60 inches tall. Prefers shade to partial shade with moist to wet soils. Can be in standing water.
Polystichum acrostichoides	Christmas fern	Has dark green, leathery, evergreen fronds. Grows 12-24 inches tall. Prefers shade to partial sun (if moist) and rich moist to dry soils.
Pteridum aquilinum	Braken Fern	Three branched fronds at top of stem. Great for dry sandy infertile soils in open woods. If you see these plants you know the soils are poor!

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