Sensitive Fern gets its common name because it is sensitive to the first frost and to drought, and the leaves rapidly wilt if picked. Its native range is in southeast Canada from Newfoundland to Manitoba down to eastern Texas to northern Florida back up through New England, growing wild in swamps, marshes, and bottomlands. It usually grows about 1.5 to 2 feet high, but can grow to 4 feet tall. Its sterile fronds are coarse, triangular in shape, and simple pinnatifid and are about 1.5 to 4 feet long. Its separate fertile fronds come up from the ground and are short, to about 1 foot high, erect, woody-like stems that brown up in late summer and remain until spring. It spreads quickly by rhizomes (underground stems) to form a colony or mass. I have seen this species growing in full sun and doing well where the soil is always wet; otherwise, it should have part-shade to full shade in rich, moist soil. It is occasionally planted in landscapes, but not commonly. It is offered by a good number of native plant nurseries and some larger, diverse conventional nurseries.

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I've grown this fern for over fifteen years. It grows a thick mat of roots, and spreads. Even in a moist spot, I have never had it much more than 2 feet tall. Maybe it needs to be undisturbed longer to grow so tall - I have to dig it back away from the downspout periodically here. Easy to grow and interesting both for leaf and for dry spore stems.

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