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Dryopteris fragrans
Also called Fragrant Cliff Fern, Fragrant Fern, Fragrant Wood Fern, Fragrant Cliff Wood Fern, Fragrant Shield Fern
Fragrant woodfern is a small circumboreal fern, the smallest Dryopteris species, usually under 25 cm tall, that grows on rocky cliffs and limestone screes. It is a wild species rarely grown in gardens, and it is best suited to cool, shady rock crevices or a shaded rock garden.
Dryopteris fragrans, commonly known as the fragrant woodfern, a circumboreal fern, is the smallest of the Dryopteris species. It can resemble Woodsia ilvensis in the wild, with which it shares the same habitat of rocky areas, shady cliffs, screes, and limestone talus. It typically will not reach more than 25 cm (9.8 in) in height, and accumulates dead fronds around its base.
The name refers to an appealing fruity fragrance (which some liken to primrose) that is exuded by aromatic glands found on the surface of fresh fronds. Others say that it has a spicy odor when dry. The fronds were traditionally made into a tea, as well as used as bedding by Native Americans. Like many other ferns, and members of Dryopteris in particular, however, its plant material can potentially contain an antinutrient, thiaminase, as well as potentially cytotoxic
Dryopteris hasseltii · Hay Scented Buckler Fern · Scaly Male Fern · Coastal woodfern · Mountain woodfern · Spinulose woodfern · Log fern · Cinnamon woodfern · Clinton's woodfern · Large Kidney Fern · Shield Fern · Serpent woodfern
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Dryopteris fragrans by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
