Parsley Fern

• Parsley fern is a very hardy, frothy-looking, practically evergreen fern of rock crevices
• The name is a reflection of the general appearance of the plants, which have leaves much divided into small segments somewhat like parsley
• Parsley fern is a very rare species in Ireland, with the main centre of occurrence in the north and east
• The Northern Ireland plants are generally small and stunted; they grow in small tufts in fissures in rock crevices in uplands
• It can be found at all times of the year
• This rather rare fern is mostly confined to rocky outcrops and mountain cliffs in hilly districts of Counties Down, Antrim and Londonderry from the Mournes and along the basaltic escarpment from Cave Hill to Benbradagh
• Some of the best-known sites are on the Trosks above Carnlough in County Antrim and on and near Pigeon Rock in the Mourne Mountains in County Down