Ferns of North America

This guide shall serve as a base for those interested in the Pteridophyta division of plants! With any luck, this guide will help the reader understand and identify the ferns of North America.

One goal I have in my lifetime is to create a crossbreed of fern that hasn't yet been ...more ↓

Astrolepis sinuata ssp. mexicana
Astrolepis sinuata mexicana

Astrolepis sinuata ssp. sinuata ¹
Astrolepis sinuata sinuata

Windham's scaly cloakfern ²
Astrolepis windhamii

Athyrium americanum ³
Athyrium distentifolium americanum

Athyrium filix-femina ssp. cyclosorum ⁴
Athyrium filix-femina cyclosorum

Water Fern ⁵
Azolla filiculoides

Mexican mosquito fern ⁶
Azolla microphylla

ferny azolla ⁷
Azolla pinnata

Azolla pinnata ssp. asiatica
Azolla pinnata asiatica

Blechnum occidentale ⁸

Swamp Fern ⁴
Blechnum serrulatum

Copper Fern ⁹
Bommeria hispida

pointed moonwort
Botrychium acuminatum

Alaska moonwort ¹⁰
Botrychium alaskense

prairie moonwort ¹¹
Botrychium campestre

reflected grapefern
Botrychium echo

Frenchman's Bluff moonwort
Botrychium gallicomontanum

western moonwort ¹¹
Botrychium hesperium

slender moonwort
Botrychium lineare

common moonwort ¹²
Botrychium lunaria

Botrychium lunarioides ¹³
Sceptridium lunarioides

Mingan moonwort ¹⁴
Botrychium minganense

little goblin moonwort
Botrychium mormo

pale moonwort
Botrychium pallidum

peculiar moonwort
Botrychium paradoxum

stalked moonwort
Botrychium pedunculosum

false northwestern moonwort
Botrychium pseudopinnatum

Botrychium rugulosum
Sceptridium rugulosum

little grapefern ¹⁴
Botrychium simplex

spathulate moonwort
Botrychium spathulatum

moosewort ¹⁵
Botrychium tunux

Campyloneurum angustifolium ¹⁶

Campyloneurum costatum

Long strapfern ¹⁷
Campyloneurum phyllitidis

Ceratopteris pteridoides ¹⁸

Ceratopteris richardii

Water Fern ¹⁹
Ceratopteris thalictroides

Cheilanthes × fibrillosa
Myriopteris × fibrillosa

Cheilanthes × parishii
Myriopteris × parishii

Cheilanthes aemula ²⁰
Myriopteris aemula

Cheilanthes bonariensis ²¹
Myriopteris aurea

Cheilanthes eatonii ²²
Myriopteris rufa

Cheilanthes fendleri ²³
Myriopteris fendleri

Cheilanthes horridula ¹³
Myriopteris scabra

Cheilanthes lendigera ²⁴
Myriopteris lendigera

Whitefoot Lipfern ²⁰
Cheilanthes leucopoda

Cheilanthes lindheimeri ²⁵
Myriopteris lindheimeri

Cheilanthes microphylla ²⁰
Myriopteris microphylla

Cheilanthes notholaenoides
Myriopteris notholaenoides

Cheilanthes pringlei ²³
Myriopteris pringlei

Cheilanthes tomentosa ¹³
Myriopteris tomentosa

Cheilanthes villosa
Myriopteris windhamii

Cheilanthes wootonii ²⁶
Myriopteris wootonii

Cheilanthes wrightii ²
Myriopteris wrightii

Cheilanthes yavapensis ²⁷
Myriopteris yavapensis

Cheiroglossa palmata ²⁸

Alaska parsley fern ²⁹
Cryptogramma sitchensis

Steller's rock-brake ³⁰
Cryptogramma stelleri

Florida Tree Fern ³¹
Ctenitis sloanei

Ctenitis submarginalis

Australian tree fern ³²
Cyathea cooperi

Cyrtomium caryotideum

House Holly-fern ³³
Cyrtomium falcatum

Cystopteris × illinoensis

Cystopteris × wagneri

Mountain Bladder-fern ³⁴
Cystopteris montana

Cystopteris reevesiana

Cystopteris utahensis

Dennstaedtia bipinnata ³⁵

tropical hayscented fern
Dennstaedtia cicutaria

Dennstaedtia globulifera ³⁶

Japanese lady fern ³⁷
Deparia petersenii

drooping forked fern ³⁸
Dicranopteris flexuosa

Vegetable Fern ³⁹
Diplazium esculentum

Diplazium lonchophyllum ³⁵

Drynaria quercifolia ⁴⁰

Benedict's wood fern
Dryopteris × benedictii

Boott's wood fern
Dryopteris × boottii

Burgess' wood fern
Dryopteris × burgessii

Dowell's wood fern
Dryopteris × dowellii

Leeds' wood fern
Dryopteris × leedsii

simulated log fern
Dryopteris × mickelii

Wherry's wood fern
Dryopteris × neowherryi

Pittsford wood fern
Dryopteris × pittsfordensis

spaced wood fern ⁴¹
Dryopteris × separabilis

Slosson's wood fern
Dryopteris × slossoniae

triploid wood fern
Dryopteris × triploidea

Braun's wood fern
Dryopteris × uliginosa

Mountain Wood Fern ⁴²
Dryopteris campyloptera

cinnamon wood fern
Dryopteris cinnamomea

Clinton's wood fern ⁴
Dryopteris clintoniana

Crested Buckler-fern ⁴³
Dryopteris cristata

fragrant wood fern ⁴⁴
Dryopteris fragrans

Dryopteris rossii ³⁵

Gaga arizonica

Gaga kaulfussii

Grammitis nimbata
Micropolypodium nimbatum

Britton's Oak Fern
Gymnocarpium × brittonianum

Gymnocarpium × heterosporum

Intermediate Oak Fern
Gymnocarpium × intermedium

Edited by mycomedic

Photo Credits

1. (c) lainie88, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
2. (c) Steve Jones, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Steve Jones
3. (c) J Brew, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by J Brew
4. (c) Homer Edward Price, some rights reserved (CC BY)
5. (c) randomtruth, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
6. (c) Felipe Gómez, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Felipe Gómez
7. (c) eyeweed, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
8. (c) Alexis López Hernández, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alexis López Hernández
9. no rights reserved
10. (c) Jason Grant, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jason Grant
11. (c) Sarah Vinge-Mazer, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Sarah Vinge-Mazer
13. (c) Bob O'Kennon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Bob O'Kennon
14. (c) Hörður Kristinsson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
15. (c) Tab Tannery, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
16. (c) 2009 Zoya Akulova, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
17. (c) Lindley Ashline, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
18. (c) Biodiversity Heritage Library, some rights reserved (CC BY)
19. (c) Show_ryu, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
20. (c) Carlos G Velazco-Macias, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Carlos G Velazco-Macias
21. (c) Elizabeth Torres Bahena, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Elizabeth Torres Bahena
22. (c) Gary Nored, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
23. (c) CK Kelly, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by CK Kelly
24. (c) 2010 Zoya Akulova, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
25. (c) Alan Weakley, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Alan Weakley
26. (c) Anthony Mendoza, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
27. (c) Gordon C. Snelling, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Gordon C. Snelling
28. (c) Mary Keim, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
29. (c) Paul Norwood, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Paul Norwood
30. (c) Jason Hollinger, some rights reserved (CC BY)
31. (c) 115800471438829027783, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by 115800471438829027783
32. (c) Cliff, some rights reserved (CC BY)
33. (c) Leonora Enking, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
34. (c) Kari Pihlaviita, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
35. (c) MBG, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
36. (c) CARLOS VELAZCO, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by CARLOS VELAZCO
37. (c) Pat Enright, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Pat Enright
38. (c) Wildlife Travel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
39. (c) Forest & Kim Starr, some rights reserved (CC BY)
40. (c) 106611639464075912591, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by 106611639464075912591
41. (c) Choess, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
42. (c) copepodo, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
43. (c) Natural England, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)
44. (c) Superior National Forest, some rights reserved (CC BY)

Ferns of North America

Astrolepis sinuata ssp. mexicana Astrolepis sinuata mexicana

Astrolepis sinuata ssp. sinuata 1 Astrolepis sinuata sinuata

Windham's scaly cloakfern 2 Astrolepis windhamii

Athyrium americanum 3 Athyrium distentifolium americanum

Athyrium filix-femina ssp. cyclosorum 4 Athyrium filix-femina cyclosorum

Water Fern 5 Azolla filiculoides

Mexican mosquito fern 6 Azolla microphylla

ferny azolla 7 Azolla pinnata

Azolla pinnata ssp. asiatica Azolla pinnata asiatica

Swamp Fern 4 Blechnum serrulatum

Copper Fern 9 Bommeria hispida

pointed moonwort Botrychium acuminatum

Alaska moonwort 10 Botrychium alaskense

prairie moonwort 11 Botrychium campestre

reflected grapefern Botrychium echo

Frenchman's Bluff moonwort Botrychium gallicomontanum

western moonwort 11 Botrychium hesperium

slender moonwort Botrychium lineare

common moonwort 12 Botrychium lunaria

Botrychium lunarioides 13 Sceptridium lunarioides

Mingan moonwort 14 Botrychium minganense

little goblin moonwort Botrychium mormo

pale moonwort Botrychium pallidum

peculiar moonwort Botrychium paradoxum

stalked moonwort Botrychium pedunculosum

false northwestern moonwort Botrychium pseudopinnatum

Botrychium rugulosum Sceptridium rugulosum

little grapefern 14 Botrychium simplex

spathulate moonwort Botrychium spathulatum

moosewort 15 Botrychium tunux

Long strapfern 17 Campyloneurum phyllitidis

Water Fern 19 Ceratopteris thalictroides

Cheilanthes × fibrillosa Myriopteris × fibrillosa

Cheilanthes × parishii Myriopteris × parishii

Cheilanthes aemula 20 Myriopteris aemula

Cheilanthes bonariensis 21 Myriopteris aurea

Cheilanthes eatonii 22 Myriopteris rufa

Cheilanthes fendleri 23 Myriopteris fendleri

Cheilanthes horridula 13 Myriopteris scabra

Cheilanthes lendigera 24 Myriopteris lendigera

Whitefoot Lipfern 20 Cheilanthes leucopoda

Cheilanthes lindheimeri 25 Myriopteris lindheimeri

Cheilanthes microphylla 20 Myriopteris microphylla

Cheilanthes notholaenoides Myriopteris notholaenoides

Cheilanthes pringlei 23 Myriopteris pringlei

Cheilanthes tomentosa 13 Myriopteris tomentosa

Cheilanthes villosa Myriopteris windhamii

Cheilanthes wootonii 26 Myriopteris wootonii

Cheilanthes wrightii 2 Myriopteris wrightii

Cheilanthes yavapensis 27 Myriopteris yavapensis

Alaska parsley fern 29 Cryptogramma sitchensis

Steller's rock-brake 30 Cryptogramma stelleri

Florida Tree Fern 31 Ctenitis sloanei

Australian tree fern 32 Cyathea cooperi

House Holly-fern 33 Cyrtomium falcatum

Mountain Bladder-fern 34 Cystopteris montana

tropical hayscented fern Dennstaedtia cicutaria

Japanese lady fern 37 Deparia petersenii

drooping forked fern 38 Dicranopteris flexuosa

Vegetable Fern 39 Diplazium esculentum

Benedict's wood fern Dryopteris × benedictii

Boott's wood fern Dryopteris × boottii

Burgess' wood fern Dryopteris × burgessii

Dowell's wood fern Dryopteris × dowellii

Leeds' wood fern Dryopteris × leedsii

simulated log fern Dryopteris × mickelii

Wherry's wood fern Dryopteris × neowherryi

Pittsford wood fern Dryopteris × pittsfordensis

spaced wood fern 41 Dryopteris × separabilis

Slosson's wood fern Dryopteris × slossoniae

triploid wood fern Dryopteris × triploidea

Braun's wood fern Dryopteris × uliginosa

Mountain Wood Fern 42 Dryopteris campyloptera

cinnamon wood fern Dryopteris cinnamomea

Clinton's wood fern 4 Dryopteris clintoniana

Crested Buckler-fern 43 Dryopteris cristata

fragrant wood fern 44 Dryopteris fragrans

Grammitis nimbata Micropolypodium nimbatum

Britton's Oak Fern Gymnocarpium × brittonianum