Fall Ferns

Dissected Grape Ferns still beautiful

Most Dissected Grape Ferns (Botrychium dissectum) turn bronze in the Fall, adding to their beauty but making them harder to see when mixed in with all the fallen leaves. But they are worth looking for! This was a banner year for most ferns, and Grape Ferns are no exception. One of our favorite sites for findng Dissected Grape Ferns is the Norwottuck Rail Trail in Belchertown (the section south of Station Rd in Amherst). The southern part of that section, just north of the parking area in Belchertown, has an abundance of small Grape Ferns which seem to be new this year. Some Dissected Grape Ferns are very dissected (frilly looking), but most are not. The ferns in this photo are typical. Note that there are 3 of them, in different colorations.