Discovering the Elusive Woodfern: A Native Fern for Eastern Gardens
Meet Dryopteris ×benedictii, commonly known as woodfern—a fascinating native fern that’s quietly making its mark in the eastern regions of North America. While this perennial beauty might not be the most well-documented plant in your field guides, it represents an intriguing piece of our native flora puzzle that deserves a closer look.
Where You’ll Find This Native Gem
This woodfern calls both Canada and the United States home, with a natural range spanning from Ontario down through several northeastern and mid-Atlantic states. You can find it growing naturally in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Vermont—basically painting a picture across some of our most beautiful forested regions.
What Makes This Fern Special?
As a hybrid species (indicated by the × in its scientific name), Dryopteris ×benedictii represents nature’s own plant breeding experiment. Hybrid ferns like this one often combine the best characteristics of their parent species, though specific details about this particular hybrid remain somewhat mysterious in botanical literature.
What we do know is that this is a hardy perennial that has adapted well to its native range, suggesting it’s built to handle the climate variations across the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada.
Is This Fern Right for Your Garden?
Here’s where things get a bit tricky—and honestly, kind of exciting if you’re into botanical mysteries! While this woodfern is definitely native to its range and appears to be a legitimate species, detailed growing information is surprisingly scarce. This could mean a few things:
- It might be relatively rare or uncommon in cultivation
- It could be easily confused with other Dryopteris species
- It may have very specific habitat requirements that make it challenging to grow
The Reality Check
If you’re dead set on growing this particular woodfern, you might face some challenges. The lack of readily available information suggests it’s not commonly found in nurseries, and without clear growing guidelines, success might be hit-or-miss.
Better Alternatives for Fern Lovers
Instead of hunting for this elusive hybrid, consider these well-documented native alternatives that will give you similar benefits:
- Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) – evergreen and extremely hardy
- Cinnamon Fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum) – stunning seasonal color
- Royal Fern (Osmunda regalis) – impressive size and texture
- Other Dryopteris species like Marginal Wood Fern (Dryopteris marginalis)
The Bottom Line
While Dryopteris ×benedictii is undoubtedly a legitimate native species worthy of respect, the practical gardener might want to look elsewhere for their fern needs. Sometimes the most responsible approach is to work with plants we understand well and can grow successfully, rather than potentially struggling with species that remain botanical enigmas.
That said, if you’re a fern enthusiast with detective skills and happen to stumble across this species in the wild (please observe only—don’t dig!), consider yourself lucky to witness one of nature’s more secretive creations. And who knows? Maybe you’ll be the one to finally crack the code on successfully cultivating this mysterious woodfern.
