Licorice fern confirmed growing roadside in Langley, BC
iNaturalist: brennanthepaleodudeadventures
Native Plants
Licorice fern grows as an epiphyte on big-leaf maple trunks and mossy rocks across the Pacific Northwest, so spotting one on a roadside tells you the local microclimate is damp and shaded enough to support that same cool, moisture-loving understory you'd find in old-growth forest.
Someone out in Langley, BC found a licorice fern and logged it on iNaturalist, where other experts checked the photos and confirmed the ID, making it 'research grade' data. Licorice fern gets its name from the mildly sweet, licorice-like taste of its rhizome, and it typically grows draped over mossy logs, rocks, or the trunks of big-leaf maples in damp coastal forests.
Key Findings
Observation reached research-grade status on iNaturalist, meaning the species ID was confirmed by community consensus
Location recorded as Glover Road, Langley, British Columbia, Canada
Species identified as Polypodium glycyrrhiza, a fern native to coastal western North America
chevron_right Technical Summary
A birdwatcher or hiker in Langley, BC spotted and confirmed a licorice fern growing on Glover Road, adding a verified data point for this native Pacific Northwest fern's distribution.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
licorice fern (Polypodium glycyrrhiza) observed in Glover Rd, Langley, BC, CA
Research-grade observation of licorice fern in Glover Rd, Langley, BC, CA.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
Species Mentioned
Was this useful?
Want to tell us more? (optional)
Thanks for the note!
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many submissions. Try again in an hour.
Warming killed underground fungi and pushed meadows toward shrublands
Mountain meadows and wildflower-rich grasslands many people hike through and depend on for clean water and biodiversity are quietly transforming underground ...
Polypodium glycyrrhiza, commonly known as licorice fern, many-footed fern, and sweet root, is a summer deciduous fern native to northwestern North America, where it is found in shaded, damp locations.