Ferns 2026

Moonworts 3 Swamp Moonwort

Randy and I spend a lot of our time exploring outdoors. We enjoy seeing our favorite common and uncommon ferns in their different stages of growth and habitats, but it is wonderful when we are surprised to find a fern we have not seen before. Such was the case last week on our public Fern Walk. We had a list of about 20 ferns we had found at the site, and were on the last few before heading back. I was looking for a small patch of Narrow Beech Ferns which we had seen in that area before, when something different caught my eye. It was clearly a moonwort, which was new for our list at this place! It was only a couple inches tall, and I thought it was probably a young or damaged Daisy-leaf Moonwort, was thrilled to add a new fern to our list, took a few photos, and continued with our Fern Walk. Randy thought it might be a different one, but we did not have time to spend on it then. Later, when we got home and had a chance to study the photos, and check several sources including field guides and GoBotany, it looked like it was a new species for us, Swamp Moonwort (Botrychium tenebrosum)! I checked with an expert or two, who confirmed that it was Swamp Moonwort, which is considered rare in Massachusetts (GoBotany). It is on a watchlist with NHESP (Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program), and I am filing a report on the sighting and site.

We thank the people who came on our Fern Walk, and got to see a new fern discovery in "real time". We ask for your discretion to not show other people the site, and to stay back from the location since there are likely to be more tiny ones coming up. We will be monitoring the site. This seems to be a great year for ferns, thanks to the rain.

If you want to join in the fun of ferning, check out the Calendar on our PVFS website. I have just added a number of events.

Janice

Posted: to PV Fern News on Thu, Jun 18, 2026
Updated: Thu, Jun 18, 2026