At least 16 ferns are native to Sacramento County. Sacramento County's native ferns are described below.
Native Dryland Ferns
Field horsetail rush (Equisetum arvense) near Strawberry Valley. Photo by queerbychoice. The following native ferns grow throughout Sacramento County in areas not adjacent to rivers, streams, or other wetlands. They can be successfully grown in urban or suburban landscaping without supplemental water. There are no native perennial rushes that grow in areas not adjacent to rivers, streams, or other wetlands.
California maidenhair fern [wikipedia:"Equisetum arvense" field horsetail rush (also called common horsetail fern) coffee cliffbrake bird's foot cliffbrake goldenback fern nested polypody (also called licorice fern) western brackenfern
Unlike most ferns, bird's foot cliffbrake (Pellaea mucronata) grows in full sun, primarily on rocks. It is shown here on Pine Hill in El Dorado County. Photo by queerbychoice. 
Goldenback fern (Pentagramma triangularis) on Pine Hill in El Dorado County. Photo by queerbychoice.
Native Ferns Outside Their Usual Range
The following native ferns grow occasionally in a few areas of Sacramento County, but grow more successfully in other parts of California (usually at higher elevations). They can be successfully grown in urban or suburban landscaping, but may require extra care to keep them healthy. They may be only marginally well adapted to Sacramento's clay soil and summer heat.
Native Wetland Ferns
Scouring rush horsetail (Equisetum hyemale) in Beckwourth Riverfront Park Complex. Photo by queerbychoice. The following native ferns grow throughout Sacramento County, but only along rivers, streams, and other wetlands. (In fact, the quillworts, pillwort, and water-clover often grow where partly submerged underwater.) They can be successfully grown in urban or suburban landscaping, but will need regular watering or, in some cases, standing water such as a pond.
Pacific mosquitofern common scouring-rush smooth scouring-rush Howell's quillwort Nuttall's quillwort Orcutt's quillwort hairy water-clover American pillwort
