# Broad Beech Fern (*phegopteris hexagonoptera*)

The Broad Beech Fern has large, beautiful leaves that look like feathers! It loves to grow in shady places, making it a perfect plant for exploring in the forest.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Snaps:** 7
- **Habitat:** Moist, shady forests, often found under trees.
- **Also known as:** Beech Fern, Broad-leaved Fern, Hexagon Fern

![Broad Beech Fern](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Phegopteris_hexagonoptera1.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Jaknouse at English Wikipedia, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phegopteris_hexagonoptera1.JPG)

## Appearance

The Broad Beech Fern has light green, broadly triangular fronds, often wider than they are long. Its lowest frond sections uniquely point downward and backward, giving it a distinctive winged appearance and setting it apart from other forest ferns.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Polypodiopsida
- **Order:** Polypodiales
- **Family:** Thelypteridaceae
- **Genus:** Phegopteris

## Interesting facts

- Instead of seeds, this fern releases tiny spores you can barely see.
- Its scientific name, \*hexagonoptera\*, means 'six-angled wing'!
- The broad lower frond parts uniquely point downward and backward.
- Young fronds unroll in spring like a tight little fiddlehead scroll.

## Special abilities

- **Spore Power-Up:** Broad Beech Fern can reproduce using tiny spores, not seeds, which helps it spread and colonize new damp forest areas.
- **Underground Traveler:** Broad Beech Fern has creeping underground stems (rhizomes) that help it spread widely and form large colonies.
- **Shade Seeker:** Broad Beech Fern has large, flat fronds that help it efficiently capture the dim light under dense forest canopies to make food.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-75 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** Dusky slug (*Arion subfuscus*) — slugs may browse on its fronds
- **Shelter:** Red-backed Salamander (*Plethodon cinereus*) — provides cover on the forest floor
- **Depends on:** [Red Maple](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-maple) (*Acer rubrum*) — relies on canopy trees for shade

## Traits

- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Broad Beech Fern?

Compare frond shape, how the leaflets are arranged, the stalk, and any spore clusters you can see. A single detached leaflet often hides the plant's overall growth pattern. Fern Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Broad Beech Fern?

30-75 cm

### How wide does Broad Beech Fern spread?

30-60 cm

### Is Broad Beech Fern edible?

No

### Is Broad Beech Fern toxic?

None

### What is Broad Beech Fern's lifecycle?

Perennial

### Where is Broad Beech Fern usually found?

Moist, shady forests, often found under trees.

## Where to spot

- [Oak Ridge Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/oak-ridge-historic-district) — Tennessee, US · Historic District
- [Shepherdstown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shepherdstown-historic-district) — West Virginia, US · Historic District
- [Elkmont](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/elkmont) — Tennessee, US · Neighborhood
- [Ellicott City Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ellicott-city-historic-district) — Maryland, US · Historic District
- [Ellicott's Mills Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ellicotts-mills-historic-district) — Maryland, US · Historic District
- [Great Falls Dam](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/great-falls-dam) — Tennessee, US · Historic Site

[View all places to see Broad Beech Fern](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/broad-beech-fern)

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Broad Beech Fern: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/broad-beech-fern)