Dryopteridaceae
Narrowleaf swordfern
Polystichum imbricans
- Family
- Dryopteridaceae
- Genus
- Polystichum
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Common names
By language (1)
- English
- Narrowleaf swordfern
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Canada: native, Lower 48 states: native
Photos
Photo: Stephen Sikes, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: iNaturalist user: amthinkia, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Randal, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Matt Berger, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
More in Polystichum
- Hard shield-fernPolystichum aculeatumDryopteridaceae
- Northern hollyfernPolystichum lonchitisDryopteridaceae
- Braun's hollyfernPolystichum brauniiDryopteridaceae
- Western swordfernPolystichum munitumDryopteridaceae
- Christmas fernPolystichum acrostichoidesDryopteridaceae
- Madeira shield-fernPolystichum drepanumDryopteridaceae
- Lemmon's hollyfernPolystichum lemmoniiDryopteridaceae
- Mountain hollyfernPolystichum scopulinumDryopteridaceae
- California swordfernPolystichum californicumDryopteridaceae
- Polystichum craspedosorumDryopteridaceae
- Dudley's swordfernPolystichum dudleyiDryopteridaceae
- Polystichum hancockiiDryopteridaceae
Sources: classification from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.