Cinnamon Fern is a large, vase-shaped native fern growing 3–5 feet tall in moist forests and wetlands across eastern North America. It is named for the distinctive, cinnamon-colored fertile fronds that emerge in early spring among the larger sterile green fronds. The woolly cinnamon-colored hairs at the base of the fronds are a key identification feature. Cinnamon Fern provides nesting material for many birds and its uncoiling fiddleheads are edible and were eaten by Indigenous peoples.
Best time to see a Cinnamon Fern
The best time to see a Cinnamon Fern is April–June, when about 65% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 34,447 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
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