Here in late November, we are solidly into autumn. The temperature has dropped, the days are getting short, most of the leaves have fallen from the trees and shrubs, and the predominant landscape colors are brown and gray. But lichens, clubmosses, and some ferns remain green year round, providing splashes of vivid green throughout the landscape. One such fern is the aptly named evergreen wood fern (Dryopteris intermedia), which is indeed green year-round in areas of mild winters, such as Cape Cod. Although the leaves remain green, the fronds may droop down to the ground during the winter. Evergreen leaves are thought to contribute to early spring growth by allowing the plant to photosynthesize before the new leaves have fully emerged.

Native to most of the eastern United States, the evergreen wood fern can be found in a variety of forest, woodland and wetland edge habitats. The scientific name is derived from the Greek words dryas, meaning oak, and pteris meaning fern, in reference to this species’ preference for growing in woodland areas populated with oaks. 

Although this species is easily confused with several other wood ferns in the Dryopteris genus, it is the only thrice-dissected evergreen fern in this area, so it’s easy to identify this time of year. The edges of each leaflet are toothed and bristle-tipped, which create a somewhat lacy appearance to this fern. Rather than produce a separate fertile frond like cinnamon or sensitive ferns, evergreen wood ferns produce spores in structures called sori on the undersides of the leaflets.

How many still-green plants can you find this week?