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Tried and True Native Plant Selections
for the Mid-Atlantic
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Osmunda claytoniana (Interrupted Fern)
This native (also known as Osmunda claytoniana L. var. claytoniana), more common to western and northern portions of the Mid-Atlantic Region,* grows in moist woods, slopes and swamp edges. The term “interrupted” in its common name refers to the distinctive gap left in the middle of the fern blade when fertile leaflets wither and fall off mid-summer.
* It is native to DC. In DE, it is common in the Piedmont and uncommon in the Coastal Plain. In VA, it is common in the mountains, frequent in the Piedmont (including NoVA), and rare in the Coastal Plain.
Learn more about other Mid-Atlantic plants:
Tried and True Native Plant Fact Sheets