After six failures to launch, we’ve finally succeeded in growing one of the most fascinating of our native ferns, Asplenium rhizophyllum (formerly Camptosorous rhizophyllus). Known by the common name of walking fern, the long frond tip of this tiny fern, roots into the organic debris or moss everywhere it touches, forming a new plant. If
Walkin’ Man’s Fern Read More »
Ever since I had my first greenhouse at age 7, I’ve grown the tropical Green Cliff Break fern, Pellaea viridis. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d find a winter hardy form. It was not until 2005, when I visited South Africa, that we found it growing at a range of elevations from
Green Cliff Brake…another amazing Ferner Read More »
I’ve spent the last 60+ years tromping through woodlands across the Eastern US, from Maine to Florida, and west to Texas, and have looked at more Christmas ferns (Polystichum acrostichoides) than you can imagine. Being a diversity freak, I am always looking for odd forms, which are surprisingly rare for this species. I could count
All I want for Christmas is a new Christmas Fern Read More »
Emerging beautifully from its winter slumber is the elegant native fern, Dryopteris x australis. The 4′ tall clumps look superb all through the heat of summer. Despite the “down under” sounding specific epithet, “australis” actually means “from the south”, referring to its’ natural range from from Virginia to Arkansas, where it is found in moist
Australis Emerges Read More »
In fall, when everyone is rushing to bring their fern baskets indoors when the weather forecast calls for frost, we can be focusing on other garden chores, because our fern baskets remain outside during the winter. That’s because, instead of selecting tropical ferns, we use epiphytic (that naturally grow on trees) ferns of the genus,
Winter Fern Baskets Read More »
While many woodland ferns go dormant in fall, there are actually quite a few that remain evergreen through the winter months. One of our favorites is the compact Asian (China, Japan, Korea) native, Dryopteris uniformis ‘Cristata’, with each pinnae ending in a ruffled petticoat. Below is our 20″ tall x 2′ wide clump in early
Winter Petticoats Read More »
Most people wander through life so fast, they miss many of the small joys, like appreciating the diversity of fern spore patterns. As you can see in the photos below, each genus of fern has its own unique spore arrangement, which are used by taxonomists to determine who is related to who. Some spores form
Preceding Pre-seeding Read More »
With 145 species in the fern genus, Ctenitis (pronounced tinnitus), you’d think everyone with a woodland garden would have at least one, but sadly, that isn’t the case. In fact, we’d bet there are few Ctenitis ferns grown anywhere is cultivation. Our favorite species is the tardily deciduous Ctenitis subglandulosa ‘Hoshizaki’, which hails from Bhutan
Ctenitis ringing in the Ears Read More »
We just snapped this photo of one of our more amazing fern introductions, Microsorum buergerianum ‘Datun’. This six year-old clump is from our 2008 spore collection of this fabulous mat forming, epiphytic fern from north of Taipei, Taiwan. Although the foliage burnt back at 11 degrees F, it re-flushed quickly the following spring. Hardiness Zone
Evergreen Fern Mat Read More »
Pyrrosia polydactyla ‘Middle Finger’ is an excellent clone of the Taiwanese native five-fingered tongue fern with an exceptionally long middle pinnae. Quite a few nurseries, especially in the Pacific Northwest, offer this as another clumping, but uniquely different species, Pyrrosia hastata. In the garden, it’s quite at home in dry shade, especially happy growing on
Middle Finger Fern Read More »
