I have a volunteer fern that popped up this year and it doesn't resemble any of the ferns in my shade garden.

I understand mature ferns can look different, but this almost looks like a maidenhair fern and I don't have one of those.

Edit: This one did not appear in my shade garden but on the other side of the yard (and around the house). The Ajuga pictured was just planted, so it didn't come in the pot with that plant either.

Maybe a Didymochlaena truncatula? Aka Mahogany Fern.

carlysuko said:Maybe a Didymochlaena truncatula? Aka Mahogany Fern.

That does look similiar! I'm dumbfounded where it came from, it looks like it grows in zones 9-11. Maybe someone had a happy houseplant and the wind carried the spores?

Or an Asplenium trichomanes (Maidenhair spleenwort) native of the UK http://www.plantpost.co.uk/unu...

yowie said:Or an Asplenium trichomanes (Maidenhair spleenwort) native of the UK http://www.plantpost.co.uk/unu...

Ooh, that one is native to Georgia too.

It reminds me of Nephrolepis (Boston Fern, Sword Fern).

How about Asplenium platyneuron (Ebony spleenwort) ?

Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron)

In comparing the two spleenworts, it appears that the maidenhair one has rounded leaves...

stone said:How about Asplenium platyneuron (Ebony spleenwort) ?
Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron)
In comparing the two spleenworts, it appears that the maidenhair one has rounded leaves...

That looks like a good possibility, more images for comparison on this Georgia Native Plant Society page: https://gnps.org/plants/ebony-...

stone said:How about Asplenium platyneuron (Ebony spleenwort) ?

Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron)

In comparing the two spleenworts, it appears that the maidenhair one has rounded leaves...

Ooh, another one! I guess it might be best just to save both names (definitely looks like it's a Spleenwort though) and see how it better "defines" itself in time. It's so small right now!

stone said:How about Asplenium platyneuron (Ebony spleenwort) ?

Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron)

In comparing the two spleenworts, it appears that the maidenhair one has rounded leaves...

It has grown considerably since this post and it definitely looks like Ebony spleenwort!