The Sensitive Fern earns its name from its sensitivity to frost — the delicate fronds blacken at the first hint of cold. It is easily identified by its broad, deeply lobed fronds and unusual fertile fronds that look like strings of dark beads persisting through winter. It spreads aggressively through underground rhizomes in wet habitats and is a common colonizer of disturbed moist soils.
Habitat
Wet meadows, swamp margins, stream banks, and moist disturbed areas across eastern North America
Diet
Not typically browsed; provides cover for small amphibians and insects
How common
Common
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