hay-scented fern

[ hey-sen-tid ]

noun

1. a fern, Dennstaedtia punctilobula, of eastern North America, having brittle, yellow-green fronds.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hay-scented fern¹

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

It is in understanding the wild ancestry of garden plants, whether that’s a hay-scented fern or a black oak tree — that the informed gardener is the most successful.

From Washington Post

Two related ferns will colonize nicely in such places — the hay-scented fern and the New York fern.

From Washington Post

The hay-scented fern is particularly fine-textured, almost feathery, and smells of fresh mown hay when bruised.

From Washington Post