indiana native plant of the month - june

With the internet being packed with useless information, we want to kick off each month with a blog post to shed some light on some of Indiana’s native plants with fun personalities.

sensitive fern (onoclea sinsibilis)

The Sensitive Fern has distinct green leaves. It gets the name “sensitive” from its dramatic display if not provided with enough water. This plan loves moist woodland shade areas.

Identifying sensitive fern

Sensitive Fern has a few key identifying traits, such as:

• Triangular shaped fronds

• Yellow-ish/green plant

• Spores (raised spots) beneath the fronds

fun fact: chemical defenses

Sensitive ferns are highly resistant to deer. Deer don’t typically eat sensitive ferns because of the chemical defenses ferns have evolved into.