It could be a red stemmed Lady fern. Sensitive fern is another one that has red stems initially.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fern site

Beth,
There are 2 varieties of Lady Fern native in your state, Athyrium filix-femina, var. asplenioides and var. angustum(rubellum), that can have red stipes and rachis(stems).
Both are very desirable accent plants for gardens and they are easily transplanted. The red stemmed var. angustum is sold commercially as 'Lady in Red' for large bucks.
Enjoy!
sb

In Georgia, lady fern grows naturally with either red stems or green stems, sometimes side by side. I am not sure if other areas have both colorations in the wild. "Lady in Red" is a cultivar of the northern variety that has taken advantage of the red colored stems. It looks like var. asplenioides is the Southern variety. Thanks for the clarification, Stonybrook, it's nice to learn more details.

By the way. royal fern is another one that starts out with purplish-red stems when the fronds first emerge.

Thanks! Are ostrich ferns common in MD- I have some huge "fiddleheads" I ran across this past weekend.

Thanks,
Beth