Dryopteris filix-mas

May be composed of at least two closely related taxa. In North America, plants in the northeast and midwest differ morphologically, ecologically, and possibly genetically from plants in the Rocky Mountains (FNA 1993).

Dryopteris filix-mas has a circumboreal distribution and is quite common in Europe, Central Asia, and North America. Threats to this species include invasive species, logging, trail and rights-of-way maintenance, cattle grazing, and likely other threats in some places (NatureServe 2024). With a large range extent, over 300 occurrences, and broad habitat preferences for abundant habitat, this species is considered secure.

Dryopteris filix-mas is found across the northern hemisphere. In North America, it occurs in largely disjunct populations in southern Greenland, western North America from British Columbia to Saskatchewan south to California and Texas, and northeastern North America from Ontario to Newfoundland south to Illinois and Maine (Cody and Britton 1985, Kartesz 1999). It is also found across northern and southern Europe, North Africa, Central Asia, and Siberia (POWO 2024).

By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium records and photo-based observations documented between 1993 and 2024, there are estimated to be more than 300 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2024, iNaturalist 2024, SEINet 2024).

Although threats are not widely documented, Dryopteris filix-mas is threatened by invasive species, logging, trail and rights-of-way maintenance, cattle grazing, and likely other threats in some places (NatureServe 2024). There is insufficient data, including anecdotal accounts, to understand the scope and severity of threats for this taxon. However, their overall impact is likely negligible given the species' broad range, large number of occurrences, tolerance of light disturbance, and affinity for typically abundant habitats, as well as no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.