Dryopteris fragrans, commonly known as the fragrant woodfern, a circumboreal fern, is the smallest of the Dryopteris species. It can resemble Woodsia ilvensis in the wild, with which it shares the same habitat of rocky areas, shady cliffs, screes, and limestone talus. It typically will not reach more than 25 cm (9.8 in) in height, and accumulates dead fronds around its base.