Western sword fern spotted growing wild in Victoria neighborhood
iNaturalist: birdlady123
Native Plants
If you garden in the Pacific Northwest, this evergreen fern already thriving on a Victoria street strip is a low-maintenance, deer-resistant native you can tuck into shady beds without worrying about it escaping into wild areas.
Someone out for a walk on Richardson Street in Victoria spotted a western sword fern and logged it on iNaturalist, where other naturalists confirmed the identification, making it a verified record. These big, arching evergreen ferns are native to Pacific coastal forests and show up everywhere from deep woods to city boulevards because they tolerate shade and poor soil so well.
Key Findings
Observation reached 'research-grade' status on iNaturalist, meaning the species ID was confirmed by community consensus.
Located in an urban street setting (Richardson St, Victoria, BC) rather than deep forest.
Species (Polystichum munitum) is native to the Pacific coast and commonly persists in disturbed or urban habitats.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A citizen naturalist confirmed a research-grade sighting of western sword fern growing along Richardson St in Victoria, BC, adding to the public record of this common Pacific Northwest native.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
western sword fern (Polystichum munitum) observed in Richardson St, Victoria, BC, CA
Research-grade observation of western sword fern in Richardson St, Victoria, BC, CA.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
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Polystichum munitum, the western swordfern, is an evergreen perennial fern native to western North America, where it is one of the most abundant ferns in forested areas. It occurs along the Pacific coast from southeastern Alaska to southern California, and also inland east to southeastern British...