Onoclea sensibilis

Sensitive fern is a large, somewhat coarse deciduous fern which occurs in wet woods and thickets and in moist soils along streams and springs. Grows up to 4′ tall. Features long-stalked, deeply pinnatifid, bright green, vegetative (sterile) fronds (2-4′ long) with leathery, triangular leaflets (pinnae) which have distinctively netted veins. Shorter, erect, woody-like fertile fronds (to 12″ tall), whose ultimate divisions are bead-like segments, typically brown up in late summer and persist throughout the remaining season and winter. Commonly called sensitive fern because the green vegetative fronds are sensitive to and suffer almost immediate damage from the first fall frost. Also sensitive to drought.