The photo at left shows a cluster of the fronds
of western sword fern arising from a creek bed in mixed fores along forest road
#150 at the trailhead for the Snipes Mt. Trail #11 on the southern slopes of
Mt. Adams.........October 14, 2005. The fronds seen here are about one meter
in height. The leaflets of this species do not strongly overlap as they do in
imbricate sword fern. The image at right shows a young western sword fern along the Dry Creek Trail #149, Gifford Pinchot National Forest.....September 30, 2024.
The photo above shows one leaflet of western sword fern as
seen at the location above.
The 4 photos directly above show close-up views of a young western sword fern as seen in dark coniferous woods to the west of Laurel Road in Conboy Lake NWR.........June 21, 2008. Click each photo to see an enlarged version.