Plant · GBIF taxon 5275365
deer fern
Struthiopteris spicantAlso known as Hard Fern, Hard-Fern
Deer fern produces two distinct types of fronds: dark green evergreen sterile fronds that form a spreading rosette, and tall, erect fertile fronds that emerge in summer to shed spores. Highly adapted to damp, acidic soils under dense evergreen canopies, it serves as crucial winter forage for deer and elk when other vegetation is buried in snow. The plant is a classic indicator of moist temperate rainforests across western North America and western Europe.
EvergreenShade TolerantForest Fern
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Photosynthetic
Predators
- Roosevelt Elk
- Mule Deer
- Banana Slug
ThreatsHabitat loss from logging and urban development
HabitatsMoist coniferous forests, stream banks, bog edges
Life spanPerennial (up to several decades)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyBlechnaceae
- SpeciesStruthiopteris spicant
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Spore Identification: Look on the undersides of the taller, narrow fertile fronds during summer to spot dark spore cases.
- Understory Spotting: Search along damp stream banks and beneath coniferous timber canopies in temperate rainforests.
Frequent Companion Jami Dwyer / CC BY-SA 2.0 · cc-by-sa
Co-occurring Fern No machine-readable author provided. MPF assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY 2.5 · cc-by
Co-occurring Fern (c) Alex Abair, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alex Abair · cc-by
Co-occurring Fern (c) Timothy McNitt, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Timothy McNitt · cc-by
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