Deer Fern, Deer Tongue Fern

Native primarily to coastal forests, this medium-sized, evergreen fern has glossy, erect, fronds. Deer fern is dimorphic, having two strikingly different types of fronds. The sterile fronds are lance-shaped to narrowly elliptic, whereas the fertile fronds are taller, narrower, and stiffly erect, with slender, widely spaced leaflets. Can be difficult to grow in areas of high heat and low humidity.