gardengal, that's IT! Thank you!

Glad to help!! 😁

Athyrium filix-femina Victoriae 'Victoria Lady'. This well behaved clumping fern has been called the 'Queen of Green' by industry insiders. It is so fantastically unique. It is the only fern where the pinnae criss-cross. In addition, it features created leaflet tips. Its elegance fools you into believing it is fragile and difficult to grow - quite the opposite.

Wow, that looks right, too!! Now I am confused, but it's got to be one of them, right? Thank you so much! I wish I could remember where I bought it! I'm such a plant whore for unusual things but am not good about keeping track of what they are. I don't usually care, but my grandson's homework assignment was to draw two plant leaves and make observations about them...I thought he should have the name of the plant, but I couldn't figure it out at all.

Both of these cultivars are very similar in appearance, the Dre's being slightly more compact than the Victoriae. But just as heavily crested and with chris-crossing fronds. Victoriae does not get to claim any uniqueness for that quality!!

If acquired locally, probably the Dre's. It has a much stronger market presence here compared to the Victoriae.

My Victoriae came from the Miller Garden with the tag. Interesting ID issue. Bought it at a Hardy Fern Foundation meeting so not at a commercial vendor. It is rather compact - stays about 16 inches tall.

Then most likely mislabled. Dre's is the compact one. Victoriae gets at least a third again as tall.

I have prowled lots of small specialty nurseries for years (this fern is probably about 10 years old because I planted it when I redid my front landscape). I'm pretty sure it's not something I picked up at one of the larger local garden centers. I do have several plants from Bainbridge Gardens and another much smaller Bainbridge nursery (that may not be open all the time) the name I can't recall. Also Jungle Fever Exotics in Ruston (which has closed, sadly) and xera plants in Portland, OR. We also used to have a small nursery that carried unusual plants in Tumwater, near me, that is also out of business now. So, there is no reason to believe it's not the less available variety. I prowl for the unusual. Not sure how to tell whether it's compact or not...how do you measure a fern?

I was thrilled yesterday to see that it had a baby! First one, ever.

Congratulations Grandma! lol