Question: On 4/18/18, by Mill Pond, West Newbury, we spotted this fern which appears to be Lady Fern, but what surprised …
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Question
On 4/18/18, by Mill Pond, West Newbury, we spotted this fern which appears to be Lady Fern, but what surprised us was that Lady Fern is supposed to be deciduous, from what I read, and these fronds appeared matted down as if they had spent the minter under snow. Do the fiddleheads emerge unusually early in this species, or what?
Answer
Dear chaffeemonell, the fern you have photographed has leaves that are wintergreen (they remain green over the winter and then senesce). One of the most common ferns to display this trait is Dryopteris intermedia (given the misnomer "evergreen woodfern"). That is the species you have here. Best wishes.
