Spring Ferning

Narrow-Leaved Glade Fern

So many fiddleheads, so little time! I have been trying to sit down and do a news article for a couple weeks, but there have been so many fiddleheads developing at different rates in different places, it is hard to know where to begin. This is one of my favorites because it is uncommon and is so unusual looking. This is actually almost past the fiddlehead stage, but that just makes it more distinctive. This is Narrow-leaved Glade Fern (Homalosorus pycnocarpos). Its classification has been moved around over time, starting with being called an Asplenium (like Ebony Spleenwort), then with Lady Ferns, and now in a small family of Diplaziopsidaceae. The family has only one genus in the US and the other three are in east Asia. So Narrow-leaved Glade Fern is one of a kind in the eastern US. At this stage it looks to me a bit like an alien space creature.

Chadde (Northeast Ferns) says it grows in moist, open to partially shaded woods, meadows and slopes. At our spots, they are in very wet rich soils, ones that usually require boots for access, at least in the Spring. They are a tall distinctive fern, with "single pinnate" leaves, like Christmas Fern, but much longer and thinner. When I say tall, I mean chest height! The fronds look a bit like palms to me.

I may do another news article or two soon, to highlight a few more of the fiddleheads we have been seeing these last few weeks.

If you want to learn to identify fiddleheads, the season is almost past in the valley, but some species continue to produce fiddleheads for a while. That can be nice, to help confirm an identification by seeing the full fern with the fiddleheads. Our next Fern Walk is this coming Sunday, May 11th from 1-3PM at the 4H Forest in Leverett. I will include directions on the calendar listing. We will offer an introduction to fern identification from 12:30-1:00 pm at the parking lot before the walk for those who are new to fern identification or would like a refresher.

Posted: to PV Fern News on Mon, May 5, 2025
Updated: Mon, May 5, 2025