Dennstaedtia punctilobula
An eastern North American deciduous fern that grows about 1.5 to 2 feet tall with lacy fronds up to 30 inches long, forms dense colonies in woodlands, spreads aggressively by long creeping rhizomes to create a fast-growing ground cover, and releases a hay-like scent when crushed.
Common Names
Hay-Scented Fern, Eastern Hay-Scented Fern, Boulder Fern
Summary
Hay-scented fern is a deciduous native of eastern North America that grows in open woods and wooded banks, it forms large colonies by long creeping rhizomes, typically reaching 12–24 inches in height and 2–4 feet in width, with fine-textured, lacy yellow-green fronds that turn yellow in fall, and a distinct hay-like fragrance released when fronds are brushed or crushed, in cultivation it prefers partial to full shade with moist, well-drained soils that are acidic to neutral, though it can tolerate full sun if moisture is consistently maintained, it thrives in a range of soils, including poorer rocky ones, and is hardy in USDA zones 3–8, it spreads aggressively by rhizomes to form ground-covering colonies, making it suitable for naturalizing shaded areas, woodland gardens, or erosion control, it is deer- and rabbit-resistant and generally pest- and disease-free, propagation can be by spores or by division
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
12-24 inches
Spread
2-3 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3-8
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally partial shade to full shade; can tolerate full sun if the soil remains consistently moist.
Soil Type
Loamy, acidic, well-drained soil.
Soil Drainage
Moist, well-drained soil.
Soil pH
5.1-6.5
Bloom Color
Insignificant
Bloom Time
Non-flowering (no bloom season)
Foliage Color
Green, yellow-green, or yellow in fall
Fall Foliage Color
Yellow
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
3–6 inches per year (via rhizomes).
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Propagation Methods
Division, Spores
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts other pollinators/wildlife
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (Michx.) T.Moore
- Publication
- Index Fil. : xcvii (1857)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Polypodiophyta
- Class
- Polypodiopsida
- Subclass
- Polypodiidae
- Order
- Polypodiales
- Family
- Dennstaedtiaceae
- Genus
- Dennstaedtia
Synonyms
Aspidium punctilobulum Nephrodium punctilobulum Dennstaedtia punctiloba Sitolobium pilosiusculum Sitolobium punctilobum Dicksonia punctulobula Adectum pilosiusculum Nephrodium punctilobum Dicksonia pilosiuscula Aspidium punctilobum Polypodium punctilobum Dennstaedtia punctilobula f. punctilobula Sitobolium punctilobum Dicksonia pubescens Litolobium punctilobulum