Polystichum lonchitis is a species of fern known by the common name northern hollyfern, or simply holly-fern. It is native to much of the Northern Hemisphere from Eurasia to Alaska to Greenland and south into mountainous central North America. It grows in moist, shady, rocky mountain habitat. This fern produces several erect linear leaves up to 60 centimeters long. Each leaf is made up of many lance-shaped to oblong leaflets up to 3 or 4 centimeters long, the longest ones occurring distal to the midpoint of the leaf, the basal leaflets smaller and triangular in shape. The leaflets have toothed and often spiny edges.