Dryopteris intermedia has several common names as: Common Shield Fern, Intermediate Shield Fern, Fancy Fern, Evergreen Wood Fern, Glandular Wood Fern. It has a native range from a large area of southeast Canada through New England to northern Georgia & Alabama to Missouri to Iowa to Minnesota and all of Wisconsin and Michigan in woods and wetlands. It has handsome, evergreen, lacy, soft fronds that are double cut and even triple cut near the bases and fronds grow to 40 inches long x 8 inches wide. It has glands on the leaflet ribs. The leaf stalk (rachis) has scales and plant hair. It stays as a clump and does not spread a lot. It is easy to grow in moist, rich soil in shady situations. I have not seen this species sold by conventional nurseries. There are some native plant nurseries that sell this as Izel Native Plant Nursery in Washington, DC.

Reply to this comment