Ferns

Sensitive Fern.

NPS Photo.

Ferns require damp conditions for reproduction, and the park's wetlands, streams, and seeps provide moisture-rich environments well-suited for their growth and spore propagation. Most ferns within the park are easily recognizable by the intricate symmetry of their fronds. However, some species lack this characteristic. The Southeastern Adder's Tongue consists of a single oval leaf with a narrow stalk rising to a spore covered tip. Other species, such as Christmas, Royal, Sensitive and Bracken Ferns, have feather-like fronds with spores dispersed from their undersides.

From stream fringes at Cold Harbor to the cool, damp conditions found under dense forest canopies at Gaines' Mill and Malvern Hill, fern species thrive in moist habitats across Richmond National Battlefield Park.