The cinnamon fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum) stands out for its two distinct types of fronds, which are specialized leaf-like structures, that serve different roles. Its name comes from the upright, cinnamon-colored plumes of fertile fronds, which resemble sticks of cinnamon and rise from a base of taller, green sterile fronds. At the base of these fronds are dense, cinnamon-colored fibers known as osmunda fiber. These fibers retain moisture while allowing excess water to drain, a balance that makes them especially valuable and commonly used as a potting material for orchids. Like many ferns, the cinnamon fern spreads through underground rhizomes, but it has an added advantage: it releases allelopathic chemicals that suppress the growth of nearby plants, helping it establish and expand its presence. Remarkably, this species has changed very little over the past 70 million years, earning it the designation of a “living fossil.” It thrives in moist, humus-rich, acidic soils and is commonly found in boggy ground along streams, as well as on shaded ledges and bluffs. At Glenstone, cinnamon fern is found along the Woodland Trail and around the path near Tony Smith's Smug, 1973/2005.

–Tim Curley and Bonne Di Giansante