# intermediate wood fern (*Dryopteris intermedia*) The intermediate wood fern is a lovely green plant that grows in shady places. Its fronds are feathery and can be very tall, making it look like a little forest on the forest floor. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 27 - **Habitat:** Forests ![intermediate wood fern](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Evergreen-Wood-Fern-cluster_%282997699370%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Homer Edward Price, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Evergreen-Wood-Fern-cluster_%282997699370%29.jpg) ## Appearance The intermediate wood fern has elegant, dark green fronds with a delicate, lacy texture. Its fronds are often bipinnate-pinnatifid, appearing very feathery. Brownish scales cover its leaf stalks, making it distinct from similar ferns. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Polypodiopsida - **Order:** Polypodiales - **Family:** Dryopteridaceae - **Genus:** Dryopteris ## Interesting facts - Instead of seeds, it creates millions of super tiny, dust-like spores on the underside of its leaves. - Its 'fiddleheads' are curled young fronds, named because they look like a violin's scroll! - Some ferns have existed for hundreds of millions of years, even before the dinosaurs walked the Earth! - This fern got 'intermediate' in its name for looking like a mix of two other fern species. ## Special abilities - **Spore Scatterer:** The intermediate wood fern can release tiny spores from its fronds, letting the wind carry them far to start new ferns. - **Winter Green Shield:** It has semi-evergreen fronds that stay green late into fall, allowing it to keep making food when other plants stop. - **Shady Spot Master:** This fern thrives in low-light, damp forest floors, efficiently using what little sunshine reaches it for growth. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-90 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Browsed occasionally, especially young fronds. - **Shelter:** [Eastern Red-backed Salamander](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-red-backed-salamander) (*Plethodon cinereus*) — Hides beneath its dense fronds from predators. - **Depends on:** [Sugar Maple](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sugar-maple) (*Acer saccharum*) — Relies on its canopy for essential shade and moisture. - **Eaten by:** [Black Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — Slugs and snails may feed on its fronds. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Nonvascular](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nonvascular): This trait characterizes plants lacking specialized vascular tissues (xylem and phloem) for transporting water and nutrients. - [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. - [Ancient Lineage](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ancient-lineage): This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years. - [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 plants unless you know they're safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify intermediate wood 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 intermediate wood fern? 30-90 cm ### How wide does intermediate wood fern spread? 30-60 cm ### Is intermediate wood fern edible? No ### Is intermediate wood fern toxic? None ### What is intermediate wood fern's lifecycle? Perennial ### Where is intermediate wood fern usually found? Forests ## Where to spot - [Bartholomew's Cobble](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bartholomews-cobble) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Bear Meadows Natural Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bear-meadows-natural-area) — Pennsylvania, US · Nature Reserve - [Bear Swamp](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bear-swamp) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blackhand-gorge-state-nature-preserve) — Ohio, US · Nature Reserve - [Bristol Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bristol-downtown-historic-district) — Vermont, US · Historic District - [Catskill Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/catskill-park) — New York, US · Nature Reserve [View all places to see intermediate wood fern](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/intermediate-wood-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*) --- Source: [Intermediate Wood Fern: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/intermediate-wood-fern)