Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)
(c) earthtoerin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by earthtoerin · CC BY-NC 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
Ferns and clubmossesIn Ashtabula County, Ohio

Christmas fern

Polystichum acrostichoides (Michx.) Schott

Christmas fern in all of Ohio
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Genus
Polystichum
Near Ashtabula County

Range

Where it is recorded

Season shown in 1 of Ohio's 88 counties. Explore Ohio

  • No result yet (20)
  • Recorded, too few records for a result (41)
  • Recorded, season not shown (26)
  • Season shown (1)
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files, 1:500,000. Show as a table
Counties as a table
Christmas fern by Ohio county: records and mapped range
CountyRecords
Adams County46 · Recorded, season not shown
Allen CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Ashland County41 · Recorded, season not shown
Ashtabula County20 · Recorded, season not shown
Athens County585 · Recorded, season not shown
Auglaize CountyNo qualifying records yet
Belmont CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Brown CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Butler CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Carroll CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Champaign CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Clark CountyNo qualifying records yet
Clermont County81 · Recorded, season not shown
Clinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Columbiana County25 · Recorded, season not shown
Coshocton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Crawford CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Cuyahoga County207 · Recorded, season not shown
Darke CountyNo qualifying records yet
Defiance CountyNo qualifying records yet
Delaware County28 · Recorded, season not shown
Erie CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Fairfield County36 · Recorded, season not shown
Fayette CountyNo qualifying records yet
Franklin County22 · Recorded, season not shown
Fulton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Gallia CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Geauga County69 · Recorded, season not shown
Greene CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Guernsey CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Hamilton County136 · Recorded, season not shown
Hancock CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Hardin CountyNo qualifying records yet
Harrison CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Henry CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Highland CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Hocking County189 · Recorded, season not shown
Holmes CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Huron CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Jackson County24 · Recorded, season not shown
Jefferson CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Knox County25 · Recorded, season not shown
Lake County75 · Recorded, season not shown
Lawrence CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Licking County41 · Recorded, season not shown
Logan CountyNo qualifying records yet
Lorain County23 · Recorded, season not shown
Lucas CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Madison CountyNo qualifying records yet
Mahoning CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Marion CountyNo qualifying records yet
Medina County45 · Recorded, season not shown
Meigs CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Mercer CountyNo qualifying records yet
Miami CountyNo qualifying records yet
Monroe CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Montgomery CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Morgan CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Morrow CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Muskingum CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Noble CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Ottawa CountyNo qualifying records yet
Paulding CountyNo qualifying records yet
Perry CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Pickaway CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Pike CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Portage County60 · Recorded, season not shown
Preble CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Putnam CountyNo qualifying records yet
Richland County34 · Recorded, season not shown
Ross CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Sandusky CountyNo qualifying records yet
Scioto County32 · Recorded, season not shown
Seneca CountyNo qualifying records yet
Shelby CountyNo qualifying records yet
Stark County54 · Recorded, season not shown
Summit County321 · Season shown
Trumbull CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Tuscarawas County26 · Recorded, season not shown
Union CountyNo qualifying records yet
Van Wert CountyNo qualifying records yet
Vinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Warren County35 · Recorded, season not shown
Washington CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Wayne County36 · Recorded, season not shown
Williams CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Wood CountyNo qualifying records yet
Wyandot CountyRecorded, too few records for a result

No mapped range from the range source used, the USGS Gap Analysis Project, which maps land vertebrates only.

Season

When it is recorded

In Ashtabula County

Not enough evidence

The weeks are still too uncertain to show a season. Based on 20 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, above the minimum of 20 records from 5 different years.
Show over the bars
Recording in Ashtabula County · records of all species each week, 12,822 in all

Records per week from 20 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.

Show as a table
Records of Christmas fern in Ashtabula County each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Christmas fernYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–100011
Jan 11–17002
Jan 18–24007
Jan 25–310014
Feb 1–7004
Feb 8–14006
Feb 15–21004
Feb 22–280018
Mar 1–70010
Mar 8–140012
Mar 15–210032
Mar 22–280036
Mar 29 – Apr 40028
Apr 5–112180
Apr 12–1800136
Apr 19–2522175
Apr 26 – May 232244
May 3–911285
May 10–1611238
May 17–2300218
May 24–3011359
May 31 – Jun 611407
Jun 7–1300483
Jun 14–2000627
Jun 21–2700341
Jun 28 – Jul 411669
Jul 5–1111565
Jul 12–1800828
Jul 19–25111,038
Jul 26 – Aug 100623
Aug 2–800706
Aug 9–1511686
Aug 16–2211352
Aug 23–2900611
Aug 30 – Sep 511653
Sep 6–1200526
Sep 13–1900310
Sep 20–2600200
Sep 27 – Oct 300280
Oct 4–1000276
Oct 11–1700175
Oct 18–2400175
Oct 25–3111123
Nov 1–70046
Nov 8–141195
Nov 15–210026
Nov 22–280012
Nov 29 – Dec 50018
Dec 6–121121
Dec 13–190014
Dec 20–26007
Dec 27 – Jan 20010

Reported in flower

No records here show flowers yet, so there is no flowering season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.

Reported in fruit

No records here show fruit yet, so there is no fruiting season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.

In Ohio

Late February to late July, middle week early May, and again late August to late December, middle week late September

Recorded in two separate seasons, each shown with its own early, middle and late weeks.

Show over the bars
Recording in Ohio · records of all species each week, 1,691,199 in all

Records per week from 3,491 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.

Show as a table
Records of Christmas fern in Ohio each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Christmas fernYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–102156,211
Jan 11–171565,146
Jan 18–24844,645
Jan 25–3126104,698
Feb 1–72966,023
Feb 8–142565,888
Feb 15–212045,436
Feb 22–282776,846
Mar 1–73468,321
Mar 8–1455810,384
Mar 15–2137812,620
Mar 22–2868913,949
Mar 29 – Apr 463819,661
Apr 5–1172926,860
Apr 12–181121039,925
Apr 19–251451041,623
Apr 26 – May 22471056,391
May 3–91661052,952
May 10–1693953,785
May 17–231001057,698
May 24–30881054,651
May 31 – Jun 61111053,099
Jun 7–1369853,700
Jun 14–20941056,625
Jun 21–2743955,361
Jun 28 – Jul 448958,477
Jul 5–1148861,336
Jul 12–1849764,722
Jul 19–2557969,753
Jul 26 – Aug 146959,416
Aug 2–855859,712
Aug 9–1545855,994
Aug 16–2237854,328
Aug 23–29102951,772
Aug 30 – Sep 5128857,167
Sep 6–12119959,075
Sep 13–19961054,543
Sep 20–26137845,860
Sep 27 – Oct 3941043,180
Oct 4–1078837,841
Oct 11–17891030,824
Oct 18–2476921,156
Oct 25–31701019,021
Nov 1–765814,172
Nov 8–14511012,621
Nov 15–213087,965
Nov 22–283388,136
Nov 29 – Dec 52986,083
Dec 6–122976,004
Dec 13–193575,423
Dec 20–263065,661
Dec 27 – Jan 24788,459

Reported in flower

No records here show flowers yet, so there is no flowering season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.

Reported in fruit

No records here show fruit yet, so there is no fruiting season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.

What these results show

These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.

Identification

How to identify it

Often confused with

  • ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuronOften confused in Ohio: 37 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • Diplaziopsis pycnocarpos Diplaziopsis pycnocarposOften confused in Ohio: 22 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • rock polypody Polypodium virginianumOften confused in Ohio: 16 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • Appalachian rockcap fern Polypodium appalachianum68 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • cinnamon fern Osmundastrum cinnamomeum61 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant

From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.

Land cover where it is recorded

Land coverIts recordsAll Ohio records
Forest86%31%
Developed11%49%
Wetland2%5%
Farmland1%11%
Open water0.2%3%
Grassland and shrub0.1%0.9%

From 2,047 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)

Sources

Where these results come from

  • Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
  • Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
  • See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.

Records behind the Ohio result

3,491 records from 2 datasets.

To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).

A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.