**Description:** A large, majestic fern with feathery fronds resembling ostrich plumes, growing in vase-shaped clumps.
**Size:** Can reach heights of 3 to 5 feet.
**Wildlife Value:** Dense clumps provide essential fawning cover for deer. Separate dark brown fertile fronds persist through winter.
**Identification:** Young coiled fronds are known as "fiddleheads." Features a distinct "U-shaped" cross-section on the stem.
**Habitat:** Rich, moist floodplains and silty bottomlands along the Allegheny River.