# bulblet fern (*Cystopteris bulbifera*)

The bulblet fern is a small, leafy plant that grows in shady places. It has tiny bulbs that can grow into new ferns, making it special and fun to find in the wild!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 4
- **Habitat:** Forests

![bulblet fern](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cystopteris_bulbifera_RT.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Richtid, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cystopteris_bulbifera_RT.jpg)

## Appearance

The bulblet fern has delicate, bright green fronds that are twice-divided, giving them a lacy appearance. Its slender, often reddish stems support many small, lime-green bulblets found on the underside of the fronds, making it visually distinct from other ferns.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Polypodiopsida
- **Order:** Polypodiales
- **Family:** Cystopteridaceae
- **Genus:** Cystopteris

## Interesting facts

- It doesn't have flowers or seeds, but spreads using dust-like spores and tiny plantlets!
- Its name, \*Cystopteris\*, means 'bladder fern' because of its unique spore covers!
- The bulblet fern loves to grow on rocky cliffs, often hanging upside down!
- This fern can grow directly from tiny plantlets that fall off its leaves!

## Special abilities

- **Bulblet Power:** Bulblet fern can grow new plants from tiny bulblets that drop off its fronds, helping it spread easily without seeds.
- **Rock Hugger:** Bulblet fern has strong rhizomes that anchor it firmly to rocky cliffs, helping it thrive in seemingly impossible places.
- **Spore Shower:** Bulblet fern releases microscopic spores from its fronds, which can travel by wind to start new ferns far away.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-90 cm
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [White-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer may browse its fronds.
- **Eaten by:** [Black slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — Slugs may graze on its delicate fronds.
- **Shelter:** Red wood ant (*Formica rufa*) — Ants might find cover among its fronds.

## Traits

- [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
- [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [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.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch wild plants without asking an adult.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify bulblet 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 bulblet fern?

30-90 cm

### Is bulblet fern edible?

No

### Is bulblet fern toxic?

None

### What is bulblet fern's lifecycle?

Perennial

### Where is bulblet fern usually found?

Forests

## Where to spot

- [Bartholomew's Cobble](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bartholomews-cobble) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve
- [Bixby State Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bixby-state-preserve) — Iowa, US · Nature Reserve
- [Shepherdstown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shepherdstown-historic-district) — West Virginia, US · Historic District
- [Stafford Village Four Corners Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/stafford-village-four-corners-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District
- [Fuller County Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fuller-county-park) — Michigan, US · Park

[View all places to see bulblet fern](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/bulblet-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: [Bulblet Fern: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bulblet-fern)