Polystichum californicum

California sword fern

Family: Dryopteridaceae · Type: perennial · Native

California sword fern is a native perennial found in northern California Coast Ranges, southern California Ranges, Sierra Nevada, and central western California in woodland, streambank, and rocky open slope habitats at elevations below 1,100 meters. This fern has a distinctive lanceolate blade with dark green fronds reaching 40 to 100 centimeters long, featuring pinnae generally 4 to 7 centimeters in length. Growing with robust, upright stems, the fern develops a complex structure with lance-ovate scales at its base measuring 3 to 4 millimeters wide. Its blade is characteristically 1- to partly 2-pinnate, creating a complex and elegant leaf structure with densely arranged pinnae. The fern features a delicate indusium with ciliate edges, contributing to its intricate botanical design.

Habitat: Woodland, streambanks, to rocky open slopes

Elevation: < 1100 m

Bioregions: NCoRI, NCoRO, s CaRF, SN (3 sites), CW (exc SCoRI), SnBr (1 site)

California counties: Sonoma, Alameda, Lake, Mendocino, San Luis Obispo, Siskiyou, Los Angeles, Marin, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Monterey, El Dorado, Napa, San Mateo, Humboldt, Butte, Calaveras, San Bernardino, Trinity, Tulare

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