Fall Ferns

Hay-scented Ferns

It has been two years since I highlighted Hay-scented Ferns (Dennstaedtia punctilobula) in a news article. I tend to take it for granted I guess, as it is so common in our area. But Fall is the time of year when it tends to stand out in a very attractive way for me. This photo, taken recently on Mt Toby, shows the different colors of Hay-scented Ferns that can be found now. In some areas they have already turned brown, but in other areas they are either light green or white.

Hay-scented ferns grow in colonies, but they grow individually with stems that have a nice burnished mahoghany color at the base. They may sometimes be mistaken for New York or Lady Ferns (something I used to do). But Lady Ferns grow in assymetric clumps and often masses, and have somewhat translucent stems with black scales ("hairy legs"). New York Ferns grow in clumps of 3 or 4 stems and are distinctive with the pinnae tapering smaller and smaller on both ends of the blade, with the lowest pinnae tapering almost to the ground.

Posted: to PV Fern News on Tue, Oct 28, 2025
Updated: Tue, Oct 28, 2025