Pellaea andromedifolia

Coffee fern

Family: Pteridaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Coffee fern is a California native perennial found in the North Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Central Western California, and Southwest California in generally rocky or dry areas at elevations of 30 to 1,800 meters. This fern features long-creeping rhizomes with distinctive tan to orange-brown scales, producing green to purplish fronds 20 to 60 centimeters long and 10 to 20 centimeters wide. Growing with light brown stipes less than 3 millimeters wide, the fern develops elongate-triangular blades that are 3 to 4 times pinnate with segments typically 6 to 15 millimeters long. Its leaf segments have rounded to obtuse tips, often slightly notched, creating a delicate and intricate foliage structure. The fern reproduces through sporangia that can produce 32 or 64 spores, contributing to its resilience in rocky habitats.

Habitat: Generally rocky or dry areas

Elevation: 30-1800 m

Bioregions: NCoR, CaRF, SN, CW, SW

California counties: Tulare, San Luis Obispo, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Benito, San Diego, Santa Clara, Tuolumne, Los Angeles, Kern, Orange, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, Fresno, Humboldt, Lake, Mariposa, Mendocino, Monterey, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Napa, Stanislaus, Sutter, Sonoma, Amador, Marin, El Dorado, Nevada, Solano, Calaveras, Sacramento, Tehama, Merced, Colusa, Glenn, Shasta, Yolo, Placer, Yuba

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.