Found in most of our habitats, from shady pine woods to the sunniest wetlands and shores, ferns are a major part of the greenery of the Parry Sound landscape.

Over the ages, works of art have recorded their pleasing colours and shapes.  In the spring, the large brown fertile leaves of the Cinnamon Fern compete for attention with the early spring wildflowers.  In midsummer, ferns add shades of green to the forest floor, under trees, filling areas that are too shaded for other plants.  In the fall when tree leaves have fallen and flowering plants have withered, evergreen ferns complement the colours of fallen leaves.  And for those interested in searching for rare ferns in the wild, Parry Sound has its share.

Fern enthusiasts use a whole series of terms to describe fern parts: the leaf, for instance, is called a frond, and leaf divisions, or leaflets, are called pinnae.  There are many more terms to describe the intricate shapes, sizes, and textures of the leaves.  Fern leaves appear from a rhizome, a stem-like part that grows horizontally just beneath the ground surface.  Fine roots anchor the rhizome in the soil or in rock crevices. The leaves of some species appear at random along the underground rhizome, and as the rhizome grows, the resulting leaves can form large patches.  In other species, leaves grow in a circular rosette at the end of the rhizome.  Tropical tree ferns have a large stout rhizome that grows vertically up out of the ground forming the “trunk”.

Tiny microscopic spores, the reproductive “seeds” of ferns, develop unseen on the undersides of the leaves as the plant matures.  Mature spores are dispersed by wind and can be carried long distances. Even though there may be millions of spores on one plant, very few land in a spot with the necessary high moisture and other conditions needed for them to develop into a new fern.  Spores developing on a leaf are grouped together into large visible “spore dots”, called sori, that start out green, and then mature to a dark brown colour.  The spore dots are arranged in an orderly pattern, which is different for each species, and which helps in the species identification.

Most of us are familiar with the traditional green vegetable, fiddleheads, the new growth of fern leaves.  Very different from flowering plants, they uncoil as they grow, their curved shape resembling the scroll of stringed instruments, or the staff of shepherds.  Fiddleheads on the menu are most likely those of the large Ostrich Fern or Cinnamon Fern, both native species.

In Ontario, 76 species of ferns have been found.  Some are limited to the limestone of the Niagara Escarpment whereas the species found here prefer the more acidic soil and rock of the Canadian Shield. There are about 32 species in Parry Sound district and a list of most of them accompanies this article.  First on the list are the common ones that occur along roads, trails, or marsh edges. Using the list along with a field guide makes identification much easier by eliminating many species in the book not likely to be found in our area.  There are good identification guides available such as the new edition of “Ferns of Northeastern and Central North America”, a Peterson field guide.  The rock cut area of the fitness trail in town, north of Waubuno Beach, is a good spot to see evergreen Marginal Shield Fern, Polypody, and others. Anywhere along the Seguin Trail one can find the common ferns and even some of the rare ones.  This fall would be the perfect time for your first fern foray.

A - New York Fern
New York Fern forms patches along forest edges. This common fern keeps its fresh look and distinctive yellow-green colour all summer long

B - The Intermediate Wood Fern
A lacy-cut attractive woodland fern.  In spite of its delicate appearance it is not damaged by frost, so the fronds stay green over the winter. The snow usually flattens them and they disappear in the next season while the new fronds are growing.
(It used to be called Evergreen Wood Fern.)

C - Northern Maidenhair Fern
The subject of many an artist’s brush, is not a common fern in our area, being found only in older rich woods. It is sold at nurseries.

D - Virginia Chain Fern
The spore groups on the underside of the Virginia Chain Fern leaves are unusual in that they appear to form a continuous chain rather than separated dots. This special fern in our area, mostly found on the Atlantic Coastal Plain, is thought to have worked its way northwest following the retreat of the glaciers. It grows in wetlands, often with cattails.

E - Polypody Fern
An evergreen fern that is usually found growing from crevices on shaded rock surfaces.

F - Cinnamon Fern
Best appreciated in the spring when the brown spores on the central upright leaves give them a cinnamon colour. The large green leaves stay all season, but the cinnamon spore-covered ones wither away and completely disappear in a short time.