Deer Fern

Day 38: Deer Fern (Blechnum spicant) is a common sight in the damp forests of the Pacific Northwest. It prefers to grow where Red Alder is also present, but is often found growing in masses on downed logs and stumps of cedar. Seen here in association with Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus (yesterday's feature), it is a lover of moist, shady niches where some sunlight penetrates the overstory, and will occur frequently at the edges of bogs or lightly wooded areas along streams. Its name derives from the fact that it is enjoyed by both deer and elk as a principal forage food.