Coptis aspleniifolia, commonly known as fernleaf goldthread or spleenwort-leaf goldthread, is found in the northern two-thirds of British Columbia, in Alaska, and along the Cascades into Washington and is a native plant of the temperate rain forests of the region. It is often found in the understory of the herb layer of coniferous forests as part of a multilayered canopy system on gleysolic or organic soils. Also found in wetwoods and bogs, the fernleaf goldthread is not invasive or poisonous. The plant is considered common and widespread in its native range.