Woodsia obtusa is a compact fern of cliffs and rocky slopes, spreading slowly via a creeping rhizome dressed in tan scales with dark streaks. The fronds are grayish-silver in tone rather than the deep green of most garden ferns, which gives it a lighter presence in shaded spots. It stays small, from about five inches to a foot and a half tall, making it a natural choice for the front edge of a woodland planting or tucked into a rock garden where larger ferns would overwhelm the space.

Its tolerance for a wide hardiness range, zones 4 through 10, and its deer resistance make it a practical choice across much of the country. It is native to rocky woods and cliff faces throughout eastern North America, where it tends to appear in sites with good drainage rather than the consistently moist soils preferred by many of its relatives. Easy to grow in the sense that it rarely causes trouble once established, it rewards patience more than intervention.