For each fern listed on this page, there is a link to Plants of the World Online, NC Vascular Plants, iNaturalist, NC State Plant Toolbox, NC Botanical Gardens Flora of the Southeastern United States, and Wikipedia. As you will see, not all sources agree on which names are accepted names vs. synonyms. The Classification System used below is from the Kew Royal Botanical Garden / Plants of the World Online. Plants of the World Online provides a reference for the accepted name and a list of homotypic and heterotypic synonyms.
Kingdom: Plantae (plants)
Phylum: Streptophyta
This phylum includes the charophyte green algae found in fresh water and all land plants. Species in this phylum all reproduce sexually by conjugation.
Class: Equisetopsida (spore-bearing vascular plants)
This class includes primitive spore-bearing vascular plants. In this class are horsetails, whisk ferns and ferns. Many species in this class are extinct and are only known by fossil records dating back to the Devonian Period.
For those interested in growing ferns from spores, we are developing a monthly calendar showing when to collect spores from ferns in partnership with the NC Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill (zone 8a). It is a work in progress.
At the bottom of this page is a photo gallery of some the common NC native ferns. Many of these photos came from iNaturalist. By joining and uploading photos to iNaturalist, you contribute to research on phenology, the study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena, which is being used to study climate change.
Another useful reference that I have found is Emily Sessa's comprehensive Field Guide to Ferns, Spikemosses, Clubmosses, and Quillworts of Eastern North America, copyright 2024, Princeton University Press. If you have a copy of this field guide, I provided page numbers for each fern below.
Polystichum acrostichoides
Christmas Fern
David Walmer
CC by NC 4.0
Subclass: Polypodiinae (leptosporangiate ferns)
Order: Polypodiales, >80% of ferns living today, fossil records date to Early Cretaceous period.
Family: Aspleniaceae
wiki,
Genus: Asplenium L. ‘Spleenwort’
Species: Asplenium bradleyi, Bradley's spleenwort
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
Sessa field guide p. 160
Species: Asplenium montanum, Mountain spleenwort
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
Sessa field guide p. 165
Species: Asplenium pinnatifidum, Lobed spleenwort
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
Sessa field guide p. 166
Species: Asplenium platyneuron, Ebony spleenwort
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
Sessa field guide p. 167
planted 01/2024, also harvested at local plant rescue
Species: Asplenium resiliens, Black-stemmed spleenwort
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
Sessa field guide p. 170
Species: Asplenium rhizophyllum, Walking fern
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
Sessa field guide p. 171
fern in Walmer Woodlands? yes, growing indoors
Species: Asplenium ruta-muraria var. cryptolepis, Wall rue
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
Sessa field guide p. 172
Species: Asplenium trichomanes, Maidenhair spleenwort
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
Sessa field guide p. 176
Asplenium platyneuron
Ebony Spleenwort
David Walmer
CC by NC 4.0
Subclass: Polypodiinae (leptosporangiate ferns)
Order: Polypodiales, >80% of ferns living today, fossil records date to Early Cretaceous period.
Family: Aspleniaceae
Genus: Athyrium Roth 'Lady'
Species: Athyrium angustum, Northern lady fern
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
Sessa field guide p. 184
fern in Walmer Woodlands? yes
Species: Athyrium asplenioides, Southern lady fern
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
Sessa field guide p. 185
fern in Walmer Woodlands?
Athyrium asplenoides
Peggy A. Lopipero-Langmo
Subclass: Polypodiinae (leptosporangiate ferns)
Order: Polypodiales, >80% of ferns living today, fossil records date to Early Cretaceous period.
Family: Aspleniaceae
Genus: Cystopteris
Species: Cystopteris bulbifera, Bulblet bladder fern
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
Sessa field guide p. 248
Species: Cystopteris fragilis, Fragile fern, Brittle fern
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
Sessa field guide p. 249
Species: Cystopteris protrusa, Southern bladder fern
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
Sessa field guide p. 251
Species: Cystopteris tennesseensis, Tennessee bladder fern
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
Sessa field guide p. ?
Species: Cystopteris tenuis, Mackay's brittle fern
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
Sessa field guide p. ?
Cystopteris bulbifera
Daderot
Subclass: Polypodiinae (leptosporangiate ferns)
Order: Polypodiales, >80% of ferns living today, fossil records date to Early Cretaceous period.
Family: Aspleniaceae
Genus: Onoclea
Species: Onoclea sensibilis, Sensitive fern
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
Sessa field guide p. ?
Onoclea sensibilis
C T Johansson
Subclass: Polypodiinae (leptosporangiate ferns)
Order: Polypodiales, >80% of ferns living today, fossil records date to Early Cretaceous period.
Family: Aspleniaceae
Genus: Thelypteris
Species: Thelypteris noveboracensis, New York fern
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
NC State Plant Toolbox, NCBG, Flora of North America
Native Plant Trust, Wikipedia, Sessa field guide p. 131
iNaturalist, USDA
spores mature: May - August
spores collected ?
fern in Walmer Woodlands? yes, naturally occurring
habitat: damp woods, seepy areas
Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz
Subclass: Polypodiinae (leptosporangiate ferns)
Order: Polypodiales, >80% of ferns living today, fossil records date to Early Cretaceous period.
Family: Aspleniaceae
Genus: Woodwardia
Species: Woodwardia virginica, Virginia chain fern
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
NC State Plant Toolbox, NCBG, Flora of North America, USDA
Native Plant Trust, Wikipedia, Sessa field guide p. 137
iNaturalist, USDA
spores mature: June - September
spores collected ?
fern in Walmer Woodlands?
habitat: moist habitats, roadside ditches, edge of forest
Woodwardia virginica
Virginia Chain Fern
Panosse
CC BY-NC)
Subclass: Polypodiinae (leptosporangiate ferns)
Order: Polypodiales, >80% of ferns living today, fossil records date to Early Cretaceous period.
Family: Dennstaedtiaceae
Genus: Dennstaedtia
Species: Dennstaedtia punctilobula
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
Sessa field guide p. 256
Dennstaedtia punctilobula
Hay-scented fern
Erik Schiff
no rights reserved
Subclass: Polypodiinae (leptosporangiate ferns)
Order: Polypodiales, >80% of ferns living today, fossil records date to Early Cretaceous period.
Family: Polypodiaceae
Genus: Dryopteris (wood ferns, male ferns or buckler ferns)
Species: Dryopteris marginalis, Marginal wood fern
NC Native (distribution)
WW: spores
Dryopteris marginalis
Marginal wood fern
Misha Zitser
CC BY-NC
Subclass: Polypodiinae (leptosporangiate ferns)
Order: Polypodiales, >80% of ferns living today, fossil records date to Early Cretaceous period.
Family: Polypodiaceae
Genus: Polypodium
Species: Polypodium virginianum, Rockcap fern
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
Sessa field guide p. ?
fern in Walmer Woodlands? yes, occurs naturally
NC State Plant Toolbox, NCBG, Flora of North America,
Native Plant Trust, Wikipedia, Sessa field guide p. ?
iNaturalist, USDA
spores mature: range
spores collected (date)
habitat:
Polypodium virginianum
Rockcap fern
Martine Lapointe
CC BY
Subclass: Polypodiinae (leptosporangiate ferns)
Order: Polypodiales, >80% of ferns living today, fossil records date to Early Cretaceous period.
Family: Polypodiaceae
Genus: Polystichium
Species: Polystichum acrostichoides, Christmas fern
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
Sessa field guide p. ?
fern in Walmer Woodlands? yes, occurs naturally
NC State Plant Toolbox, NCBG, Flora of North America,
Native Plant Trust, Wikipedia, Sessa field guide p. ?
iNaturalist, USDA
spores mature: range
spores collected (date)
habitat:
Polystichum acrostichoides
Christmas Fern
David Walmer
CC by NC 4.0
Subclass: Polypodiinae (leptosporangiate ferns)
Order: Polypodiales, >80% of ferns living today, fossil records date to Early Cretaceous period.
Family: Pteridaceae
Genus: Adiantum L ‘Maidenhair’
Species: Adiantum pedatum. northern maidenhair
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
NC State Plant Toolbox, NCBG, Flora of North America
Native Plant Trust, Wikipedia, Sessa field guide p. 127
iNaturalist, USDA
spores mature: June - August
spores collected at NCBG (date)
fern in Walmer Woodlands? yes
habitat: rich forests, alkaline soil, talus slopes
Adiantum pedatum L.
Northern maidenhairfern
David Walmer
CC by NC 4.0
Subclass: Polypodiinae (leptosporangiate ferns)
Order: Salviniales
Family: Salviniaceae
Genus: Azolla
Species: Azolla caroliniana, Carolina mosquito fern
Worldwide distribution, NC distribution
Sessa field guide p. 189
Azolla caroliniana
sphaerichthys
Photo Gallery of common nc native ferns
