[3] It is one of the most common ferns in eastern North America, being found in moist and shady habitats in woodlands, stream banks and rocky slopes.

Christmas fern has a tufted, clumping habit, with its fronds arising from a central growth point.

The coiled, developing fronds ("crosiers") are scaly, greyish and prominent in early spring.

[4] Fronds are 30-to-80-centimetre-long (12 to 31 in) and 5-to-12-centimetre-broad (2.0 to 4.7 in), dark green and rather leathery in texture; their undersides may be covered in very sparse hairs.

Each pinna is typically 4-centimetre-long (1.6 in) and has a finely serrulate or spiny edge, and is oblong to falcate in shape.