Northern Wood Fern

Northern wood fern is a robust, evergreen to semi-evergreen fern native to moist forests of western North America. It forms arching fronds with finely divided, triangular leaflets that spread outward from a dense crown. This species is commonly found in cool, shaded understories, forest edges, and along streams, where soils remain consistently moist and rich in organic matter. Spreading wood fern provides year-round ground cover, contributes to forest floor stability, and is well-suited for woodland restoration and shaded native plantings. It is deer resistant and may go dormant during dry summers.