




Dennstaedtia punctilobula
The hay-scented fern is a lovely green plant that grows in shady places. When you brush against it, it smells like fresh hay, which is why it got its name!
Habitat: Forests
The hay-scented fern has delicate, lacy, triangular fronds, often a bright yellowish-green. These fronds taper at both ends, creating a soft, feathery texture. It typically forms dense, sprawling patches.





Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
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Instead of seeds, hay-scented ferns make tiny spores to create brand new plants!
It can grow so densely that it shades out other plants on the forest floor!
The fronds turn a beautiful golden-brown in autumn, adding color to the woods!
This fern smells like freshly mown hay when crushed, even after it dries!
Hay-scented fern can release a sweet, hay-like scent when disturbed, which might help deter herbivores.
Hay-scented fern has tiny spores that are spread by wind, allowing it to colonize new areas far away.
Hay-scented fern can spread widely using underground stems called rhizomes to form large colonies.

Odocoileus virginianus
Deer may browse young fronds occasionally.

Peromyscus leucopus
Provides ground cover for small rodents.
Limax maximus
Slugs hide from predators under its fronds.
Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators.
Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.
Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.
Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
No aliases listed yet.
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Always look but don't pick plants unless an adult says it's okay.
30-70 cm
60-100 cm
No
None
Perennial
Forests
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Massachusetts, US
You might spot Canada Goose, Common Watersnake, and Mute Swan.
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Maryland, US
You might spot White-Tailed Deer and Oriental Bittersweet.
View guide →

Pennsylvania, US
You might spot Hemlock Varnish Shelf, Mountain Laurel, and Cinnamon Fern.
View guide →