SafePlants

Hay-Scented Fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula)

Considerations for Pets

• The plant's fronds can be cut for use in flower arrangements, indicating they might be accessible to pets indoors.
• This fern spreads from rhizomes, suggesting potential for rapid growth and spread in a garden setting where pets might interact with it.

Common Names and Taxonomy

• Scientific Name: Dennstaedtia punctilobula
• Common Names: Hay-scented fern, Eastern hay-scented fern, Eastern hayscented fern
• Type: Fern
• Family: Dennstaedtiaceae (also seen as Dennstadtia)
• Kingdom: Plantae
• Taxonomic Rank: Species
• Synonyms: Listed as "Eastern Hay-scented Fern"

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to eastern North America, ranging from Newfoundland west to Wisconsin and Arkansas.
• More abundant in the eastern states of North America.
• Found in the Cumberland Mountains in East Tennessee.
• Rare in Illinois, primarily found in high-quality habitats, but more common further east.
• Main range extends through eastern Canada and the northeastern U.S., west to southern Illinois and south to northern areas.

Ecological Role

• Considered a "native invasive" in some areas of eastern North America.
• Can increase in abundance in deciduous forests, old fields, and roadsides.
• Excessive root mats of this fern can prevent adequate growth of other plants.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• Deciduous fern with light-green, finely textured, lacy fronds.
• Fronds are oval-oblong in outline and yellow-green in color.
• Fronds can reach up to a foot wide and occur singly in large colonies, forming a carpet.
• Typically grows to a height of 1.5 to 2 feet with a similar spread.
• Clumping fern with a height and width of 1 to 3 feet.
• Rapidly growing and spreads from rhizomes.

Cultivation

• Best grown in rich, moist soil in filtered light.
• Tolerates a wide range of conditions, including poor, dry soil and full sun.
• Prefers moist, rich, humusy, and acidic soil.

Quirky Facts

• The fern is called hay-scented because it emits a fragrance reminiscent of fresh-cut hay, especially as the fronds turn yellow in the fall.
• The emergence of the fern fiddleheads (crosiers) is noted in late April, with the foliage developing six weeks later.

Further Information

• Dave's Garden community
• Discover Life's page about the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Dennstaedtia punctilobula.
• Eastern Region of the Forest Service - Threatened and Endangered Species.