13 Common Native Ferns Of Washington & Oregon (With Pics)

Before I moved to the Pacific Northwest I always imagine that it was just full of pine trees.

Maybe it was the PNW stickers (of pine trees) that I saw everywhere but I had no idea of what it was actually like.

If you haven’t been to the PNW before, let me tell you, it’s much lusher than you expect.

If many places you’ll feel like you’re in a mossy magical rainforest with large leafy ferns, berries and fruits, and, yes, the ever-present pine tree.

Now, it is true that pine trees probably dominate the majority of the space. However, second place goes to a far more diverse and (in my opinion) interesting plant family: ferns.

The PNW is home to literally dozens of types of ferns and you can find them anywhere from the forest to the coast, from people’s yards to the sides of highways.

So let’s take a gander at the most common types of ferns found in the Pacific Northwest so you’ll know them when you see them! Or when you want to plant them in your own yard.

Common Ferns Of The Pacific Northwest

1. Sword Fern

If you’ve hiked just about anywhere west of the Cascades, you’ve seen these. Sword ferns are the workhorses of PNW forests—big, bold, and impossible to miss. They grow in a classic rosette shape and can get chest-high or taller, with leathery, dark green fronds that stay green all winter.

Field Notes

Lookalike: Deer fern, but the sword’s pinnae are wider and stiffer, and the whole plant is more upright.

Frond shape: Long and arching with upward-pointing leaflets (called pinnae) that are toothed and alternate tightly along the stalk.

Where to find it: Almost everywhere—old-growth forest, disturbed trailsides, city parks, backyard shade gardens.

2. Lady Fern

Lady ferns feel softer and more delicate than sword ferns, with fronds that seem to almost shimmer in the breeze. They tend to die back in winter, so if you’re not seeing them in January, that’s normal.

Field Notes

ID tip: The reddish stalk and very finely divided leaves help distinguish it from the bolder wood fern or bracken.

Frond shape: Lacy, with deeply divided pinnae that taper at both ends.

Where to find it: Damp woods, streambanks, and marshy areas—anywhere moist and partly shady.

3. Deer Fern

This one’s easy to spot once you know what to look for. Deer ferns have two types of fronds: short, flat, evergreen ones that stay low to the ground, and taller, upright fronds in the center that shoot up with spores in the summer.

Field Notes

Fun fact: Indigenous groups used deer fern to line berry baskets and sometimes chewed the young shoots medicinally.

Frond shape: Low-growing sterile fronds are tidy and parallel. Fertile fronds stand up like antennae and are narrower.

Where to find it: Moist forests, especially closer to the coast. Likes mossy ground and duff.

4. Bracken Fern

Bracken fern grows differently from most ferns in this list—it spreads aggressively and grows out rather than up. You’ll see its wide, triangular fronds popping out of sunny clearings, usually alone rather than in dense patches.

Field Notes

Caution: While striking, it’s mildly toxic and shouldn’t be eaten (yes, some folks try to forage the fiddleheads).

Frond shape: Broad triangle shape with three main branches; each frond can be 2–3 feet wide or more.

Where to find it: Disturbed areas, clear-cuts, dry hillsides—anywhere sunny.

5. Polypody Fern

These little guys don’t make a big fuss—but once you learn to spot them, you’ll start seeing them everywhere. Polypody ferns are short, neat, and often found growing in places that don’t even seem like they should support life: mossy tree trunks, bare rocks, decaying logs. In the middle of winter, they’re often the only green thing around.

Their fronds are narrow, leathery, and deeply lobed—sort of like a miniature sword fern with all the extra frills trimmed off. And while they might look fragile, they’re surprisingly hardy. When things dry out, they curl up tightly and wait for rain, uncurling as soon as the moisture returns.

Field Notes

Cool detail: The rhizomes (underground stems) have a faint licorice scent when broken

Frond shape: Narrow, deeply lobed, with rounded leaflets and a wavy texture

Where to find it: On moss-covered rocks, logs, or bigleaf maple trunks; often seen above eye-level

Season: Evergreen—best seen in fall and winter when others die back

6. Ostrich Fern

Ostrich ferns are big, bold, and dramatic—if you spot a huge, perfectly symmetrical fountain of fronds in early summer, there’s a good chance it’s this one. The name fits: the tall, arching fronds really do resemble the shape of ostrich plumes.

You’ll most often find these in low, wet areas—along riverbanks, swampy forest bottoms, and ditches where their roots stay moist. Unlike sword ferns, which stay green all winter, ostrich ferns die back completely in fall. But when they’re in season, they’re hard to miss.

Field Notes

Fun detail: The tightly coiled young fronds (fiddleheads) are edible when properly prepared—but don’t confuse them with toxic lookalikes

Frond shape: Tall, feathery, and vase-shaped; fronds emerge tightly curled and unfurl into wide arcs

Where to find it: Moist, shaded lowlands—especially river edges and wet floodplains

Season: Spring through fall; dies back in winter

7. Cinnamon Fern

Cinnamon ferns feel a bit out of place in the PNW—and that’s because they’re far more common in the eastern U.S. That said, if you’re in a swampy or marshy spot west of the Cascades, especially in a quiet backwater area, you might run into a few. What makes them stand out is the tall, cinnamon-colored fertile frond that rises from the center of the plant like a spiky torch in late spring.

The rest of the plant is a lush circle of bright green fronds, arching outward in a perfect vase shape. Everything about this fern feels bold and structured, but the fuzzy stalks and vibrant green make it feel almost tropical.

Field Notes

Look for: The upright cinnamon-colored fertile fronds in the middle—those are your ID giveaway

Frond shape: Wide, arching, and symmetrical with fine-textured pinnae

Where to find it: Rare but possible in swampy, poorly drained lowlands; more likely near the coast

Season: Spring through late summer; dies back in fall

8. Maidenhair Fern

You’ll usually find maidenhair fern in the kind of quiet, mossy places where water seeps out of a cliff face or trickles down the wall of a shaded ravine. It’s a delicate-looking fern, with soft, fan-shaped leaflets that spread out from thin black stems like the spokes of a wheel. But don’t let the elegance fool you—this is a tough native that thrives in some of the dampest, shadiest corners of the PNW.

Its bright, almost lime-green fronds seem to glow against the darker greens of sword ferns and moss, and when you spot a patch, it always feels a little special. It’s easy to see why it’s become one of the most recognizable and beloved ferns in the region.

Field Notes

Standout trait: Unlike any other fern in the PNW—once you’ve seen it, you won’t forget it

Frond shape: Fan-like segments along wiry black stems, forming a soft circular pattern

Where to find it: Near waterfalls, seeps, shaded cliffs, or wet forest slopes—always where it stays moist

Season: Spring through early fall; dies back in winter

9. Blechnum Fern

Also known as deer fern, this is one of the more refined and structured-looking ferns you’ll run across in the Pacific Northwest. It grows in neat, low clusters with two distinct types of fronds: the flat, evergreen ones that spread horizontally along the ground, and the taller, narrow fertile fronds that shoot straight up from the center like antennae. Once you know to look for both, it’s an easy one to ID.

You’ll most often see it in cool, damp forests—especially near the coast or at higher elevations—but it’s surprisingly versatile. It holds its own on mossy logs, forest edges, and even on rocky slopes. The leathery green fronds hold their color year-round, and the overall shape gives it a clean, sculptural feel that makes it a favorite in native landscaping as well.

Field Notes

Extra: Indigenous communities used the fronds for bedding and lining food baskets

Frond shape: Two types—flat, sterile fronds that stay low; upright, fertile fronds that grow narrow and tall

Where to find it: Moist forests, mossy logs, and rocky slopes—especially in coastal or higher elevation zones

Season: Evergreen

10. Adiantum Fern

Adiantum is the genus that gives us some of the most elegant native ferns in the Pacific Northwest—including the northern maidenhair and the western five-finger fern. Both have that signature look: soft, fan-shaped leaflets arranged along fine, jet-black stems that seem too delicate to survive a rainy forest, but somehow thrive in the soggiest corners of the region.

Despite the fancy appearance, Adiantum ferns are tough. They love shady, damp environments and often show up near seeps, creeks, and waterfalls. The different species can look very similar at a glance, but all share that graceful, floating feel that sets them apart from most other ferns in the understory.

Field Notes

Tip: Keep an eye out in late spring when new fronds unfurl—they almost glow in the understory light

Frond shape: Fan-like, divided into rounded or wedge-shaped segments along thin black stems

Where to find it: Moist, shaded spots—especially around cliffs, springs, and creeks

Season: Dies back in winter; returns in spring

11. Onoclea Fern

Also known as the sensitive fern, Onoclea is one of the less flashy but more ecologically important ferns in the Pacific Northwest. You’ll typically find it in low, wet areas—along streambanks, marshy fields, or in the mucky edges of floodplains—where it forms loose colonies of broad, oddly sculpted fronds.

Its name comes from its sensitivity to frost; it’s one of the first native ferns to die back at the first sign of cold weather. The fronds are wide and lobed, not divided like most ferns, giving them a leafier, almost tropical appearance. When the fertile fronds appear, they look like small upright beads on a stick and can persist into winter even after the green foliage fades.

Field Notes

Unique trait: Fertile fronds resemble clusters of tiny brown beads and remain standing through winter

Frond shape: Broad and undivided with rounded lobes—more like leaves than classic fern fronds

Where to find it: Marshes, stream edges, ditches, and floodplains with rich, wet soil

Season: Spring through early fall; dies back quickly with frost

12. Fragile Fern

True to its name, the fragile fern looks delicate—but it’s surprisingly resilient. You’ll usually find it in rocky, well-drained areas where other ferns might struggle: along talus slopes, mossy outcrops, and the edges of alpine trails. The fronds are light, finely divided, and tend to droop slightly, giving the plant a soft, feathery appearance.

Despite its lightweight structure, this fern can grow in some pretty harsh spots—especially where there’s consistent moisture dripping through cracks or shaded rock faces. It’s not one of the most common trail ferns, but once you see it, you’ll remember the look.

Field Notes

• Frond shape: Finely divided and delicate, with a lacy texture and narrow taper
• Where to find it: Rocky ledges, forested cliff bases, and alpine zones with consistent moisture
• Season: Spring through late summer; dies back in fall
• Lookalike: Can resemble lady fern, but the fronds are softer, narrower, and more fragile-looking

13. Goldback Fern

This is one of the more surprising ferns you might stumble across, especially if you’re hiking in drier or more open woodlands. At first glance, it looks like a small, triangular fern clinging to a hillside or boulder—but flip a frond over and you’ll see where it gets its name: the underside is coated in a dusty yellow-gold powder that practically glows in the sun.

Goldback fern favors the sunny side of the Pacific Northwest—southern Oregon and parts of Washington’s drier foothills and oak woodlands are where it thrives. It often grows in small crevices, dry slopes, or in cracks of basalt rock that warm up fast in spring.

Field Notes

• Frond shape: Small and triangular with a matte green top and golden underside
• Where to find it: Sunny, rocky slopes, oak woodlands, basalt outcrops—often in drier regions
• Season: Late spring through summer; curls tightly when dry, then revives with moisture
• Field tip: Flip the frond—the golden backing is unmistakable

Why Does The PNW Have So Many Ferns?

If you’ve ever hiked a PNW trail and felt like you were walking through a sea of green lace, you’re not imagining it—ferns really are everywhere here. And it’s no mystery why: our region’s mild temperatures, damp forests, and long rainy season create the perfect conditions for ferns to thrive.

These plants are built for moisture. Many species store water in their fronds and root systems, helping them power through dry spells or sudden cold snaps. Some, like sword ferns and deer ferns, even stay green year-round, toughing it out through soggy winters when most plants have given up.

But ferns do more than just look pretty. They help stabilize soil, create habitat for small creatures, and play a quiet but vital role in the forest floor ecosystem. So the next time you’re out in the woods and pass yet another lush patch of green fronds—take a second to appreciate them. In their own quiet way, they’re one of the things that makes the Pacific Northwest feel like home.