The fronds of Dryopteris marginalis are 30-100 cm long 10-25 cm wide. The blades are pinnate-pinnatifid to bi-pinnate and the blades tend to remain green overwinter. If this species is recognized as a member of the genus Dryopteris, it can be easily identified as D. marginalis by the sori which are located near the edge of the blade segments.

D. marginalis ranges throughout the northeastern U.S. and extreme eastern Canda, south to Alabama and west to Oklahoma, Iowa and Wisconsin. In Wisconsin it is found mainly in the southwestern and northeastern counties. Habitat is usually on rocks, or on steep slopes.