Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) is a perennial, evergreen plant that gets its name from either being green through the Christmas holidays, or from the resemblance of individual leaflets to Christmas stockings. There isn’t snow up here right now but I thought this an appropriate photo to illustrate that the plant is evergreen.

Like most ferns, Christmas Fern likes shade and grows in clumps from a central rhizome. Growing from 1.5 to 2 feet tall. It’s native to eastern North America and is a very common sight up here in these mountains.

As spring approaches I look for the new sprouts of fronds, called fiddleheads. They enchant me, looking like they’re dancing as they emerge from the soil, all set to take on another year of growth.