Your help is appreciated. We depend on donations to help keep this site free and up to date for you. Can you please help us?

Donate

Native Plant Trust: Go Botany Discover thousands of New England plants

Questions and Answers: 2023

Question: Spleenwort or other fern? Found among the rocks by the side of a stream, Woburn, MA Thanks!

  • Question

    Spleenwort or other fern? Found among the rocks by the side of a stream, Woburn, MA Thanks!

    Answer

    Dear TomW, good morning. You have photographed a species of Cardamine (bitter-cress), members of the mustard family. From just the basal rosette I would not be able to tell you which species, but it looks most like plants of Cardamine impatiens (narrow-leaved bitter-cress) that I have seen (but it could be a related taxon). Best wishes.