Sandy upland forest, mixed hemlock and beech.
I hear there are forty different fern species native to Western Mass. I do not own a fern book as yet. But here’s a big old list of latin names and undecipherable plant anatomy vocab if you’re interested.
I would like to note that this is the most in-focus picture I’ve ever taken of a detailed tiny thing. Satisfying!
And they’re good to eat! At least the fiddleheads are.
Yes indeed. Fiddleheads alone (and knowing them from the other 39 species) are reason enough to get a fern book. O how delicious they are on pan fried trail pizza!