Cystopteris bulbifera aka Bulblet Bladder Fern

Cystopteris bulbifera is a fern known as bulblet bladder fern. Its native range runs from eastern Canada into the United States. It grows across much of eastern and central North America. Wild plants grow on shaded ledges, cliffs, and rocky slopes. They also grow beside streams and near mossy stone walls. Many sites have limestone or other lime-rich rock.

This deciduous perennial forms tufts from upright rhizomes. Garden plants reach about 1–2 feet [0.3–0.6 metres] tall and wide. RHS gives a smaller upper size of 1.6 feet [0.5 metres]. Its soft, pale green fronds give the plant a fine texture. The fronds stand upright or arch from the clump. Each frond has a broad base and a long, narrow tip. Smaller leaf divisions have toothed edges. Fronds can reach 2.5 feet [0.75 metres] long, according to RHS. The midribs may show red tints.

This fern makes neither flowers nor fruit. It produces spores from June through September. Wind carries the spores away from the plant. Sori form beneath the small divisions of fertile fronds. Round green bulbils also grow beneath some leaflets. These drop to the soil and can form new plants. Each new plant from a bulbil matches its parent genetically. This second means of spread explains the plant's common name.

Grow it in moist soil that drains well. Rich soil with plenty of organic matter suits it. Partial shade is a sound choice, and it tolerates deep shade. Give it a sheltered site away from cold, drying winds. Keep moisture steady in woodland, native, rock, or shade gardens. It also serves as ground cover or a border plant. Sources rate it for USDA zones 4–8 and RHS hardiness H7. It establishes fast, though PFAF describes its clumps as spreading slowly. Divide plants in spring, or plant bulbils in late summer. Remove old fronds in autumn.

Deer resistance adds value in woodland plantings. NC State reports no major insect or disease problems. RHS also lists few pest or disease concerns. PFAF lists the root only as a last-resort food. It reports no known medicinal use or species-specific toxicity reports. Its warning about hazards in other ferns does not establish this species' safety. The food listing should not be read as proof of safe eating.