Dryopteris cristata is a perennial species of fern native to wetlands throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

D. cristata in turn is one of the parents of Dryopteris clintoniana, another fern of hybrid origin.

The crested wood fern is a wetland plant, needing year-round moisture.

[5] The plant is upright-ish, growing in leaf bunches, slightly leathery leaved and dark green.

[5] It is known that this plant has been used as an anti-microbial agent; for example, root extracts from D. cristata (as well as the kindred species D. arguta) has been shown efficacious in expelling intestinal parasites from certain mammals.