Goldie's Wood Fern

Dryopteris goldiana
Dryopteridaceae

Goldie's Wood Fern is rare in Connecticut; it is listed as a species of special concern. This is the largest of the native wood ferns, reaching 4’ under ideal conditions. It is a stately and slowly spreading groundcover, forming large clusters of graceful arching fronds. Named for Scottish botanist John Goldie, its fronds are green without a hint of gold.

Royal Fern

Osmunda regalis
Osmundaceae

This gracefully cascading fern is beautiful in all stages of growth. In proper conditions, Osmunda regalis forms a three-foot, vase-shaped clump. The young unfurling fiddleheads begin chartreuse in color then turn a rich emerald green as the season progresses. Fertile spores form attractive panicles of rich cinnamon brown. The Royal Fern prefers damp conditions and rich organic soils. This fern can even be grown in full sun if planted near water.

Oak Fern

Gymnocarpium dryopteris
Dryopteridaceae

The Oak fern is easily identified by its small, delicate, triangular fronds, which are usually held nearly horizontal. It is found in rocky, acidic soil in moist woodland environments.

Marsh Fern

Thelypteris palustris
Thelypteridaceae

This is a very common fern in wet, sunny areas. It can be found inhabiting the moist edges of wetland areas. Fertile fronds, 18-24 inches in height, have leaf edges that are slightly rolled over the spore-bearing sori. These rolled edges distinguish the Marsh Fern from its relative Massachusetts Fern.

Maidenhair Fern

Adiantum pedatum
Pteridaceae

Just 18 inches tall, the Maidenhair Fern is the daintiest of all native ferns. The graceful fan-like fronds have wiry black stems, which wave in the wind. It does best in filtered light and well-drained, cool soil. Adequate moisture is needed to keep the frilly fronds in perfect shape during the growing season. This fern spreads fairly slowly by branching rhizomes and forms large colonies. Its delicate texture looks most beautiful when paired with broad leaf plants in the garden.

Long Beech Fern

Phegopteris connectilis (Thelypteris phegopteris)
Thelypteridaceae

The 6-10 inch fronds of the Beech Fern are shaped like arrowheads, with the lowest pair of leaflets pointing out on a diagonal. They can be found in rich, moist woodland environments.

Lady Fern

Athyrium filix-femina
Dryopteridaceae

This Lady Fern is fine and delicate in appearance, yet so hardy and tolerant. The lacy three-foot fronds of this sophisticated species unfurl celery green in full or partial shade then turn darker as the season progresses. The fronds are long, tapering, and beautifully symmetrical, with a delicate look that belies their tough-as-nails constitution and reliability. The lacy architectural fronds make superb additions to any border, bed, or even containers. The Lady Fern is easy to grow, making this a good fern for beginners. It does best in shady conditions with moist soil.

Bulbet Fern

Cystopteris bulbifera
Dryopteridaceae

Bulblet fern fronds are long and narrow, tapering very gradually to the tip. They inhabit shaded limestone-rich cliffs & outcroppings. Bulblet Fern gets its name from the green bulblets that form on the underside of the leaves. The bulblets drop off and grow into new ferns which will mature to 12-30 inches in height.

Bracken Fern

Pteridium aquilinum
Dennstaedtiaceae

The stiff, upright triangular-shaped fronds of the Bracken Fern can tolerate a variety of habitats ranging from dry and wet forests to meadows and bogs. Deep rhizomes allow the plant to survive extremes such as fire and other unfavorable growing conditions like direct sun. Because of its robust growth, the Bracken Fern can establish itself quickly and form very large colonies. They grow up to 4.5 feet tall.

Sensitive Fern

Onoclea sensibilis
Dryopteridaceae

Sensitive fern is named for its tendency to disappear at the first slight frost. The coarsely divided fronds make this fern very easy to identify. It is small in size with most pinnae located nearly opposite on the stem. It reproduces by spores located in bead-like structures on a separate fertile stalk. It is a fairly common fern that can tolerate a variety of conditions.

Interrupted Fern

Osmunda claytoniana
Osmundaceae

Interrupted fern gets its name from the brown fertile leaflets, which "interrupt" the green sterile leaflets on the larger fronds. This fern is unusual in that its sterile, three-foot tall fronds have brown spore cases in the middle with green pinnae both above and below. The fairly blunt tips of the leaflets; this characteristic helps distinguish interrupted fern from its relative, cinnamon fern, which has very pointed tips. Interrupted fern performs best in a shady site with moist soil, but it does better in higher light and drier soil than most ferns.

Hayscented Fern

Dennstaedtia punctilobula
Dennstaedtiaceae

Hayscented fern (so called because the 12-18 inch fronds do indeed smell of hay when bruised) produces apple-green, lacy fronds that lend a delicate texture to the garden. It does best in full sun to partial shade and tolerates rather hot, dry sites. It can become invasive but is extremely useful as a ground cover for sun or shade. You can easily control the spread by pulling out some of the growth in spring. Reserve Hayscented Ferns for locations where you need to naturalize large expanses quickly and inexpensively with something deer-resistant, attractive, and undemanding- just don't expect it to be a nice neighbor to your favorite little shade plants.

Fragile Fern

Cystopteris fragilis
Dryopteridaceae

In Connecticut, fragile fern naturally occurs only in the northernmost parts of the state most notably on exposed rocky surfaces. Fragile fern is small with fronds just 5-12 inches in length. The stalk is slender and smooth with a few scales near the dark brown/black base.

Cinnamon Fern

Osmunda cinnamomea
Osmundaceae

The stiff fertile fronds of the Cinnamon Fern appear green in spring as the edible fiddleheads unfurl into three-foot arching sterile fronds. The common name of the fern is derived from the cinnamon colored wool on the fertile fronds, which resemble flower spikes. Grows in big, bold clumps in full sun or light shade and is tallest in constantly moist areas. The Osmunda group of ferns are among the most vigorous of all garden ferns and are not for small sites! This fern is particularly effective for filling in bare spaces or adding depth in the shade of tall trees.

Christmas Fern

Polystichum acrostichoides
Dryopteridaceae

The Christmas fern is one of the few evergreen ferns in New England. This is a durable and unfussy fern that is not overly aggressive and is easy to incorporate into the moist shady garden. The leathery fronds reach 18 inches in height and are dependably evergreen. It is adaptable to a wide range of conditions. It thrives in woodland shade but will take some sun if kept damp. Few hardy ferns have more beautiful deep, glossy green foliage.

Evergreen Wood Fern

Dryopteris cristata
Dryopteridaceae

The Evergreen Wood Fern can be found in moist, rich woods, especially in limestone areas. Its green leaf stalk (stipe) contains tan scales and reaches a height of 2-3 feet in length with spores located on the undersides of fronds.

Tassel Fern

Polystichum polyblepharum
Dryopteridaceae

Beautiful rich, evergreen fronds feature a silvery underside. Stunning foliage plant reaching a mature height of 24-26 inches make an elegant addition for shaded gardens or at woodland's edge. New fronds continue to emerge all summer.

Ostrich Fern

Matteuccia struthiopteris
Dryopteridaceae

At 4–6ft, Ostrich Fern is one of our tallest native Ferns, producing bright green deciduous gracefully arching fronds that provide a dramatic effect. Versatile and hardy, these tropical-looking ferns are essential plants for those moist and shady areas in your landscape. Refined, architectural leaves make superb greenery additions as foundation planting or colorful, cut-flower arrangements. Spreads by underground runners, so it's an excellent choice for quickly naturalizing in any shady environment. This is a classic fern much admired by the Victorians.