Common bracken
Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn
Common bracken in all of Ohio- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Phylum
- Tracheophyta
- Class
- Polypodiopsida
- Order
- Polypodiales
- Family
- Dennstaedtiaceae
- Genus
- Pteridium
Range
Where it is recorded
Season shown in 0 of Ohio's 88 counties. Explore Ohio
- No result yet (86)
- Recorded, too few records for a result (0)
- Recorded, season not shown (2)
- Season shown (0)
Counties as a table
| County | Records |
|---|---|
| Adams County | No qualifying records yet |
| Allen County | No qualifying records yet |
| Ashland County | No qualifying records yet |
| Ashtabula County | No qualifying records yet |
| Athens County | No qualifying records yet |
| Auglaize County | No qualifying records yet |
| Belmont County | No qualifying records yet |
| Brown County | No qualifying records yet |
| Butler County | No qualifying records yet |
| Carroll County | No qualifying records yet |
| Champaign County | No qualifying records yet |
| Clark County | No qualifying records yet |
| Clermont County | No qualifying records yet |
| Clinton County | No qualifying records yet |
| Columbiana County | No qualifying records yet |
| Coshocton County | No qualifying records yet |
| Crawford County | No qualifying records yet |
| Cuyahoga County | No qualifying records yet |
| Darke County | No qualifying records yet |
| Defiance County | No qualifying records yet |
| Delaware County | No qualifying records yet |
| Erie County | No qualifying records yet |
| Fairfield County | No qualifying records yet |
| Fayette County | No qualifying records yet |
| Franklin County | No qualifying records yet |
| Fulton County | No qualifying records yet |
| Gallia County | No qualifying records yet |
| Geauga County | No qualifying records yet |
| Greene County | No qualifying records yet |
| Guernsey County | No qualifying records yet |
| Hamilton County | No qualifying records yet |
| Hancock County | No qualifying records yet |
| Hardin County | No qualifying records yet |
| Harrison County | No qualifying records yet |
| Henry County | No qualifying records yet |
| Highland County | No qualifying records yet |
| Hocking County | No qualifying records yet |
| Holmes County | No qualifying records yet |
| Huron County | No qualifying records yet |
| Jackson County | No qualifying records yet |
| Jefferson County | No qualifying records yet |
| Knox County | No qualifying records yet |
| Lake County | No qualifying records yet |
| Lawrence County | No qualifying records yet |
| Licking County | No qualifying records yet |
| Logan County | No qualifying records yet |
| Lorain County | No qualifying records yet |
| Lucas County | 42 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Madison County | No qualifying records yet |
| Mahoning County | No qualifying records yet |
| Marion County | No qualifying records yet |
| Medina County | No qualifying records yet |
| Meigs County | No qualifying records yet |
| Mercer County | No qualifying records yet |
| Miami County | No qualifying records yet |
| Monroe County | No qualifying records yet |
| Montgomery County | No qualifying records yet |
| Morgan County | No qualifying records yet |
| Morrow County | No qualifying records yet |
| Muskingum County | No qualifying records yet |
| Noble County | No qualifying records yet |
| Ottawa County | No qualifying records yet |
| Paulding County | No qualifying records yet |
| Perry County | No qualifying records yet |
| Pickaway County | No qualifying records yet |
| Pike County | No qualifying records yet |
| Portage County | 37 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Preble County | No qualifying records yet |
| Putnam County | No qualifying records yet |
| Richland County | No qualifying records yet |
| Ross County | No qualifying records yet |
| Sandusky County | No qualifying records yet |
| Scioto County | No qualifying records yet |
| Seneca County | No qualifying records yet |
| Shelby County | No qualifying records yet |
| Stark County | No qualifying records yet |
| Summit County | No qualifying records yet |
| Trumbull County | No qualifying records yet |
| Tuscarawas County | No qualifying records yet |
| Union County | No qualifying records yet |
| Van Wert County | No qualifying records yet |
| Vinton County | No qualifying records yet |
| Warren County | No qualifying records yet |
| Washington County | No qualifying records yet |
| Wayne County | No qualifying records yet |
| Williams County | No qualifying records yet |
| Wood County | No qualifying records yet |
| Wyandot County | No qualifying records yet |
No mapped range from the range source used, the USGS Gap Analysis Project, which maps land vertebrates only.
Season
When it is recorded
In Portage County
Not enough evidence
Records per week from 37 records in 9 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
| Week | Records of common bracken | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 44 |
| Jan 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 56 |
| Jan 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 31 |
| Jan 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 67 |
| Feb 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 66 |
| Feb 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 74 |
| Feb 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 72 |
| Feb 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 80 |
| Mar 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 109 |
| Mar 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 146 |
| Mar 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 152 |
| Mar 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 140 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 0 | 0 | 277 |
| Apr 5–11 | 0 | 0 | 451 |
| Apr 12–18 | 1 | 1 | 648 |
| Apr 19–25 | 0 | 0 | 641 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 1 | 1 | 849 |
| May 3–9 | 7 | 3 | 1,174 |
| May 10–16 | 2 | 2 | 788 |
| May 17–23 | 1 | 1 | 1,091 |
| May 24–30 | 2 | 2 | 753 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 0 | 0 | 782 |
| Jun 7–13 | 1 | 1 | 1,242 |
| Jun 14–20 | 3 | 3 | 1,568 |
| Jun 21–27 | 1 | 1 | 1,383 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 2 | 2 | 1,344 |
| Jul 5–11 | 1 | 1 | 1,357 |
| Jul 12–18 | 10 | 1 | 1,310 |
| Jul 19–25 | 1 | 1 | 1,431 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 2 | 1 | 1,439 |
| Aug 2–8 | 0 | 0 | 1,037 |
| Aug 9–15 | 0 | 0 | 1,056 |
| Aug 16–22 | 0 | 0 | 1,145 |
| Aug 23–29 | 0 | 0 | 911 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 0 | 0 | 930 |
| Sep 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 986 |
| Sep 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 974 |
| Sep 20–26 | 1 | 1 | 1,199 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 0 | 0 | 985 |
| Oct 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 516 |
| Oct 11–17 | 1 | 1 | 417 |
| Oct 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 435 |
| Oct 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 401 |
| Nov 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 278 |
| Nov 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 251 |
| Nov 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 228 |
| Nov 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 130 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 0 | 0 | 82 |
| Dec 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 79 |
| Dec 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 69 |
| Dec 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 53 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 0 | 0 | 77 |
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
Early May to mid-October, middle week Jun 28 – Jul 4
Records per week from 268 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of common bracken | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 6,211 |
| Jan 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 5,146 |
| Jan 18–24 | 1 | 1 | 4,645 |
| Jan 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 4,698 |
| Feb 1–7 | 1 | 1 | 6,023 |
| Feb 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 5,888 |
| Feb 15–21 | 1 | 1 | 5,436 |
| Feb 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 6,846 |
| Mar 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 8,321 |
| Mar 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 10,384 |
| Mar 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 12,620 |
| Mar 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 13,949 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 0 | 0 | 19,661 |
| Apr 5–11 | 0 | 0 | 26,860 |
| Apr 12–18 | 1 | 1 | 39,925 |
| Apr 19–25 | 1 | 1 | 41,623 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 4 | 3 | 56,391 |
| May 3–9 | 12 | 5 | 52,952 |
| May 10–16 | 18 | 5 | 53,785 |
| May 17–23 | 18 | 6 | 57,698 |
| May 24–30 | 24 | 9 | 54,651 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 13 | 8 | 53,099 |
| Jun 7–13 | 8 | 6 | 53,700 |
| Jun 14–20 | 21 | 6 | 56,625 |
| Jun 21–27 | 9 | 5 | 55,361 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 8 | 7 | 58,477 |
| Jul 5–11 | 12 | 8 | 61,336 |
| Jul 12–18 | 20 | 5 | 64,722 |
| Jul 19–25 | 8 | 4 | 69,753 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 6 | 3 | 59,416 |
| Aug 2–8 | 15 | 6 | 59,712 |
| Aug 9–15 | 7 | 5 | 55,994 |
| Aug 16–22 | 7 | 4 | 54,328 |
| Aug 23–29 | 6 | 6 | 51,772 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 4 | 4 | 57,167 |
| Sep 6–12 | 8 | 4 | 59,075 |
| Sep 13–19 | 2 | 1 | 54,543 |
| Sep 20–26 | 7 | 5 | 45,860 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 3 | 2 | 43,180 |
| Oct 4–10 | 7 | 5 | 37,841 |
| Oct 11–17 | 5 | 3 | 30,824 |
| Oct 18–24 | 5 | 4 | 21,156 |
| Oct 25–31 | 1 | 1 | 19,021 |
| Nov 1–7 | 1 | 1 | 14,172 |
| Nov 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 12,621 |
| Nov 15–21 | 1 | 1 | 7,965 |
| Nov 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 8,136 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 1 | 1 | 6,083 |
| Dec 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 6,004 |
| Dec 13–19 | 1 | 1 | 5,423 |
| Dec 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 5,661 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 1 | 1 | 8,459 |
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
- northern lady fern Athyrium angustum231 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- boulder fern Sitobolium punctilobulum190 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- cinnamon fern Osmundastrum cinnamomeum143 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- marginal wood fern Dryopteris marginalis137 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- marsh fern Thelypteris palustris129 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.
Months not reported
- Jan: recorded
- Feb: recorded
- Mar: no record
- Apr: recorded
- May: recorded
- Jun: recorded
- Jul: recorded
- Aug: recorded
- Sep: recorded
- Oct: recorded
- Nov: recorded
- Dec: recorded
Not reported in Ohio in March, 2016 to 2025.
Times of day, land cover and photos from records are not shown for species whose locations are protected.
Finer identifications
Some Ohio records of this species were identified to a subspecies:
- Pteridium aquilinum subsp. latiusculumsubspecies
A few other records were identified to other subspecies.
Every one of these records counts toward common bracken's season above.
Why some records go further than species
Many plants vary from place to place. Botanists name these groups at three levels below species: subspecies, variety and form, from the broadest difference to the smallest. Observers and experts only identify a record that far when it shows enough detail to tell them apart. Records without that detail count at the species level.
Names: Catalogue of Life.
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
268 records from 1 dataset.
- iNaturalist Research-grade Observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 268 recordsiNaturalist contributors, iNaturalist (2026). iNaturalist Research-grade Observations. iNaturalist.org. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/ab3s5x accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-11-13.
To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).
Links to individual records are not shown for this species, to protect the places it is recorded.