Photos & Information

• Wildflowers

>Ferns

• Rare Plants

• Gardening with
  Native Plants

• Plant ID Guides

• Links

The Society

• Home

• Field Trips

• Meetings

• Newsletter

• Membership

• Get Involved

• Contact Us

• About this Web Site

Ebony spleenwort looks something like a smaller, more delicate version of Christmas fern, though the two ferns are not closely related. To identify ebony spleenwort, look for a smooth, glossy red-brown stem. The fertile fronds grow very erect, while the sterile fronds are shorter and more horizontal.

• Family: Aspleniaceae
• Habitat: rocky woods
• Height: 15 inches
• Location of spores: underside of fronds (see second photo)
• Stipe (leaf stalk): glossy red-brown, smooth, and brittle
• Growth pattern: asymmetric clump
• Persistence: evergreen