Hi all!

This mystery fern started coming up in the middle of my Hoya plant.
I'm stumped.
Got any ideas?

No guesses at all?

I was thinking some kind of Wood fern? Thelypteris? Dryopteris?

It looks like a Southern Wood Fern to me. Don't know the Latin name. Caveat: if new growth is kind of bronze colored, then you've got an Autumn fern. I'm in Zone 8a and the Autumn fern is evergreen where as the Southern Wood fern is a perennial that will return in the spring.
I have neighbors who have the most incredible 'stand' of these ferns that they've grown since the 1950s. Easy to transplant. The picture shows my transplant. Hope this helps.

The Pinnae (leaflets) alternate, the sporangia look to be round and in two straight rows of four on the pinnules. The stem is not red so it's probably not a Lady Fern.

My guess is Dryopteris. As tx_flower_child said a Wood Fern or (if the fronds begin yellow/orange/gold then turn green) an Autumn Fern is a strong possibility.

The picture on the Missouri Botanical garden page of D. erythrosora looks similar to me.
http://www.missouribotanicalga...

I will look through my fern books to see if there are other possible ones. Certainly I defer to anyone who know ferns; I love them, have quite a few varieties, but certainly won't claim to be an expert.

Thanks so much for your responses, @tx_flower_child and @DigginDirt
I'll be watching new growth for color, and for possible 'dieback' in the Autumn/Winter.

Guess right now I'll just go with wood fern, unless something/some other possibility arrises.

Thanks again! Appreciate it!

Took me awhile to find some pictures of my neighbor's Southern Wood ferns. There are some oxalis mixed in. They live across from me so house faces south. But 'yard' aka 'ferns' are shaded by large trees.

@tx_flower_child Those are beautiful photos! Hope you add them to the plant database!

Beautiful!

Ok. If I know how. But thanks for the compliments..

If you click on the image, there is a link that says, "associate photo with plant in the database" or something similar. Or in the search bar on the top left of the page, you can type in the plant and find it in the database, click on the database entry for the plant, then at the bottom left there will be a small blue link that says, "upload photo".

Edited to add: Extremely beautiful ferns, by the way!

Oh, I remember now. I did try it but then it asked me if it was Thelypteris or Dryopteris and I have no idea. I just know it's a Southern Wood Fern.

The ferns really are beautiful. I think my neighbors' house dates to 1954 so those ferns have had a long time to grow and multiply. Every spring when I see the little fiddleheads pop up I want to grab more than I can take care of. I was surprised to see that some of the little transplants I dug up a year ago came back this spring and have been growing. (1st pic I posted. Looks sad in comparison.) I think this time they did better b/c I made sure to take more of the rich soil along with the transplants. And I am always welcome to take as many as I want. Very sweet.