Maidenhair fern along a woodland path
Maidenhair fern along a woodland path

Maidenhair fern grows in mature hardwood forests here in Vermont, especially where lime rich soils exist. There’s one spot on a favorite trail up in the woods behind our house where they grow, and a nearby rocky outcrop of gneisses and limestone are probably the reason why. I love the gentle curving pattern of these ferns and the delicacy of their fronds. This one is showing a bit of chill damage as the temps have been dipping into the mid 30s on recent nights.

Nikon D600, Nikon 50mm lens, ISO 1250, f/1.8, 1/400″ exposure