sword fern

noun

: any of several ferns with long narrow more or less sword-shaped fronds: such as

: a tropical fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) from which the Boston fern has been developed

: a fern (Polystichum munitum) of western North America with a large fleshy rhizome

Examples of sword fern in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The site is very private and being in the forest, there is a lot of screening from the native understory plants—huckleberry, wild rhododendrons, wax myrtle, and sword ferns. —

Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 30 Aug. 2023 The many species of this sword fern turn brown in frost, but they can be clipped off easily. —

oregonlive, 26 Feb. 2023 Western sword fern is one option on the shady side of your area. —

oregonlive, 15 Aug. 2021 White flies have infested my garden especially in hellebore and western sword fern beds. —

oregonlive, 26 Dec. 2020 Ancient old-growth trees sometimes towering 250 feet over your head, Western sword fern the size of a six-year old. —

Sarah Sekula, USA TODAY, 29 Sep. 2020 The scents of wild mushrooms, red huckleberry, calypso orchids, and sword ferns always evoke an Endor vibe. —

Heather Arndt Anderson, Sunset Magazine, 17 Jan. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sword fern.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.