Have you ever walked through a forested area, seen a patch of fern, and thought, “That is really beautiful”?
Sometimes that beauty can be confounded by hidden knowledge that changes our perspective.
Hay-scented fern is one of those ferns that can be good to get to know more so you understand what it might be allowing to happen in your woods. It gets its name from the smell of freshly-cut hay it produces when its fronds are crushed.
It grows in wooded areas as long as they aren’t too dark and shaded. It shows up in sunnier spots in the woods. It grows on poor soil. It seems to flourish more after a partial timber harvest, as more light gets to the forest floor. No wonder it abounds, it can adapt to many situations.
Hay-scented fern has a unique ability to orient its fronds in a way to catch limited sunlight more efficiently (phototropism). This gives a patch of hay-scented fern the regimented look of an ordered fern army set up in rank and file.
It is not preferred by deer, so as the deer eat other preferred vegetation, hay-scented fern takes over these sites and dominates. Plus, hay-scented fern has its own ability to dominate the understory to the exclusion of other plants. It shades out most tree seedlings with its dense cover and forms a physical and chemical (allelopathic) barrier to tree seedlings with its thick root system.
So, when you see a big patch of hay-scented fern - in all its yellow-green splendor and regimented order - take in the beauty…
However, also realize it is restricting the future of our forests by keeping new trees from growing due to the dense shade it forms and its thick root system. Also remember that deer - the most dominant controller of understory vegetation - don’t eat it, which leads to decades of control by this fern.
Controlling hay-scented fern can be difficult. Some chemical sprays will work. Mechanical control can work. It requires mowing several times per year for several years. This link to New York Forest Owners Association Southeastern Adirondack Chapter will allow you to look up an article in the Chapter Magazine from summer 2015, which will give you more information on control.
Here is a link to help identify hay-scented fern: https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/dennstaedtia/punctilobula/
New York Fern is similar to hay-scented fern in terms of being a control freak. Check out Jessica Alba’s vlog about New York fern, including how to identify and control it. https://mywoodlot.com/blog/mywoodlot-vlog/new-york-fern
