Specimen record
Hay-scented Fern
Dennstaedtia punctilobula
Description
An extremely common fern that forms dense, extensive colonies on woodland slopes and in abandoned fields. When crushed or walked through, the fronds release a distinctive sweet scent reminiscent of fresh-cut hay. It spreads aggressively by rhizomes and can dominate the understory of open woods, sometimes creating nearly pure stands that exclude other plants. The lacy, yellow-green fronds are twice-pinnate and deciduous.
Identification tips
- 1Crushed fronds smell distinctly like fresh-cut hay (the best field test)
- 2Lacy, twice-pinnate, yellow-green fronds, 40–75 cm tall
- 3Forms dense single-species colonies via spreading rhizomes
- 4Fronds arise singly (not in clumps) from the rhizome, spaced evenly apart
- 5Sori tiny, cup-shaped, on the margins of the pinnules (need a hand lens)
Specimen & preservation notes
Press a full frond — they are manageable-sized and press beautifully flat. The sweet scent persists faintly in dried specimens. Note the hay fragrance on the label. Extremely abundant — ideal for student collections and pressing practice.
Habitats
Collection calendar
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Collection notes
Season check
No flowering records for this species yet.
Flowering records: 0 iNaturalist observations, Massachusetts · Nearby: 790 observations within 25 km