The Western Sword Fern can be found all across the cooler regions of the northern hemisphere. You can expect to find this plant in north america and the northern countries of Europe and Asia. They grow at lower to mid elevations so the higher you go, the less ferns you will see. Finally they can generally be found in wooded areas that receive large rainfall as they like to be protected from the sun by the leaves of other plants and they like to be moist.