




Nephrolepis
Sword ferns are beautiful green plants that grow in shady places. They have long, sword-like leaves that can be very tall and are fun to touch and explore!
Habitat: Forests
The sword fern has long, sword-shaped fronds that arch gracefully, forming dense clumps. Its vibrant green leaves are divided into many small, serrated leaflets, creating a feathery texture. The underside of older fronds often features tiny, round brown spore cases.





Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
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Baby fern fronds, called fiddleheads, are coiled up tight like a violin scroll!
Ferns are older than dinosaurs, having existed for over 360 million years!
Look under a frond for tiny brown dots – those are sori, packed with millions of microscopic spores!
Many sword ferns are excellent natural air purifiers for your home!
Sword ferns reproduce with spores, not seeds, letting them spread widely with wind or water to grow new plants.
Sword ferns keep their green fronds year-round, which helps them collect sunlight even in winter.
Sword ferns can form dense clumps, helping them outcompete other plants for space and resources.
Planococcus citri
Feeds on sap from fronds.
Tetranychus urticae
Sucks sap from leaves, causing damage.
Saissetia oleae
Attaches to fronds and stems to feed.
Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.
Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period.
Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Always be gentle with plants and don't pull them out of the ground.
30-100 cm
30-100 cm
No
None
Perennial
Forests
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Washington, US
You might spot Bigleaf Maple, Common Snowberry, and Osoberry.
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Washington, US
You might spot Snowy Owl, Bee, and American Crow.
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British Columbia, CA
You might spot Western Sword Fern, Douglas Fir, and Red Huckleberry.
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Oregon, US
You might spot Duck, Twinberry Honeysuckle, and Canada Goose.
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British Columbia, CA
You might spot Broad-Leaved Stonecrop, Salal, and Pacific Sanicle.
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Washington, US
You might spot Duck, Great Blue Heron, and Western Redcedar.
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