#deer fern

Plant of the Day

Wednesday 4 September 2024

The evergreen fern Blechnum spicant (deer fern, hard fern, herringbone fern, northern fern, rusty back, snake fern) has thick, glossy fronds with a feather-like appearance. Here it was thriving in the cool, moist, shade of a Scottish conifer forest.

Are you enjoying Green Friday? Green is believed to be a healing color: the color of nature and balance. Green is also a color that Mount Rainier National Park has in abundance! Higher elevations may be covered in snow, but at lower elevations there is plenty of green to be found in the old-growth forests, from ferns to mossy logs to evergreen trees.

Can’t get to the park? No matter where you are, take a moment to appreciate plants in your neighborhood or yard, or even a houseplant. What other colors do you find calming or therapeutic? What about snowy white – Mount Rainier has plenty of that too!

Meet the common ferns! (Find part two here!)

This series is a collection of my personal (UPG) correspondences for local plants. Please do not utilize this post as a sole way to identify them, and do not ingest unless you have done the proper research.

[Photo source]

Meet Polystichum munitum, also known as Western Sword Fern! These beauties are the backbone of many local forests, and often go unnoticed. 

These spirits tend to seem very wise, and unconcerned with whatever you’re doing.

Stalk. Endurance, well-being.

Blades. Tough skin, to help things bounce off.

Fiddleheads. Warmth, fae.

[Photo source]

Meet Blechnum spicant, also known as Deer Fern! These ferns tend to be the smallest on the forest floor, but hold their own!

I haven’t had the pleasure of interacting with any of these plant spirits.

Stalk. To stand out above the rest, new growth.

Blades. To know, to find hidden things.

Fiddleheads. Whimsy, child-like energy.

[Photo source]

Meet Polypodium glycyrrhiza, also known as Licorice Fern or Licorice Root Fern! These ferns prefer to grow their rhizome systems in moss - so they’re found on the sides of rocks and in trees! How cool is that!?

I’ve found these plant spirits to be tight-knit (literally and personality wise) and share the same opinion of you, even if they’re on different trees.

Stalk. Thriving in spite of circumstances, strength.

Blades. Social confidence, fitting in.