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Sensitive Fern

Onoclea sensibilis

Phlogophora meticulosa - blýskavka mramorovaná. In the following weeks, this guy is going to grow dirty brown on top and

Onoclea sensibilis, Onocleaceae, Sensitive fern, Bead fern, sori (“beads”); Botanic Garden Universiy Tübingen, Germany.

Onoclea sensibilis, the sensitive fern, also known as the bead fern, is a coarse-textured, medium to large-sized deciduous perennial fern. The name comes from its sensitivity to frost, the fronds dying quickly when first touched by it. It is sometimes treated as the only species in Onoclea, but some authors do not consider the genus monotypic.

Quick Facts
Scientific name Onoclea sensibilis
Family Onocleaceae
Height 1-3 ft
Bloom time Non-flowering (spores)
Sun Part shade
Moisture Wet
Soil Muck, loam
Wildlife value Dies at the first frost, hence the name; bead-like fertile fronds persist all winter

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Image Credits

  • David Short from Windsor, UK (CC BY 2.0)
  • H. Zell (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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