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Ferns have been with us for more than 300 million years and in that time the diversification of their form has been phenomenal. Ferns grow in many different habitats around the world. The ferns were at their height during the Carboniferous Period (the age of ferns) as they were the dominant part of the vegetation at that time. During this era some fern like groups actually evolved seeds (the seed ferns) making up perhaps half of the fern like foliage in Carboniferous forests and much later giving rise to the flowering plants. Most of the ferns of the Carboniferous became extinct but some later evolved into our modern ferns. There are about 12,000 species in the world today. Ferns and fern-allies are more complicated in structure than most people would suspect. Their structures, though similar in some ways to those of flowering plants are different enough to warrant a distinctive terminology.

The frond is the part of the fern that we see as we wander through the woods it is the "leaf" of a fern. It is divided into two main parts, the stipe (leaf stalk or petiole) and the blade (the leafy expanded portion of the frond). The blade may be undivided to finely cut, each degree of division having a specific term. "Pinnate" blades are divided into leaflets (pinnae), with each leaflet narrowly attached to the central stem (called the rachis in this leafy part of the frond). Blades more divided are designated as bipinnate or even tripinnate with some divided four or five times. The ultimate division are called pinnules. Another type of division is one where the green leafy tissue isn't completely separated from the rachis but rather it spreads along the rachis, instead this degree of division is called "pinnatifid". Fronds vary greatly in size, from tree ferns with 12 foot fronds to the mosquito ferns with fronds only 1/16 of an inch long.

Some of our Favorite Ferns:

Christmans Fern Graceful evergreen ferns, used by settlers for Christmas decorations, are also superb in borders and foundation plantings. Grow 24-36" tall and wide.Bring elegance to any shady spot all summer long. Ferns thrive in places where nothing else will grow and bring the beauty of forest glens to your landscape.

Japanese Painted Fern Ferns create visions of cool, peaceful places. This Japanese variety evokes the shady tranquility of its native Oriental gardens.Lovely clumps 12-20" high with a spread of up to 36" have a weeping habit and exquisite foliage that appears "painted" with silver. Japanese Painted Fern are ideal for a shady niche in a rock garden.

Lady Fern Versatile, carefree. Fills shady, moist areas where other plants fail. Lacy fronts up to 30" long and 12-24" wide. Superb in cutting.Bring elegance to any shady spot all summer long. Ferns thrive in places where nothing else will grow and bring the beauty of forest glens to your landscape.

Ostrich Plume Fern Graceful fronds reach 24-36" long and 18" wide. A popular choice for shady areas near foundations and walls. Fine greenery. Bring elegance to any shady spot all summer long. Ferns thrive in places where nothing else will grow and bring the beauty of forest glens to your landscape.

How to Successfully Grow Ferns:

1) You will need a clear plastic container like the ones supermarkets use for cakes or cupcakes. This will ensure high humidity.

2) The potting soil must be good quality not a generic brand. This very important.

3) After putting the soil in the container dampen it. It should feel like the humus soil you would feel in an oak forest. Not too damp not too dry. To kill bacteria and fungal spores place the container in a microwave oven and heat for 3-5 minutes (until it is steaming pretty good). Be careful, too long and the container will begin to melt. Then let the soil cool for about an hour.

4) Sprinkle the spores on top of the soil , just enough so that you can see some of the powdery spores wafting down and put the container near a window. Up close for a north facing window, back a foot or so for south facing window (reverse this in the Southern Hemisphere).

5) Wait. It will be 6-8 weeks until you see anything. Then you will see small flat leaflike plants, "prothallia" that will grow to about 3/8 inches across. If there are a lot growing close together they must be thinned out to about 1 or 2 per 3" area. If not they will only grow male organs. During this time make sure the potting soil in the container does not dry out.. You should check the soil every week or so.

6) When the Prothallia get to 3/8" it will grow male and female organs. The male organ will make sperm which will swim to the female part and fertilize the egg. The egg will then grow into the fern plant that we see, called the "Sporophyte". During this time the prothallia should be sprinkled with water so that the sperm will be able to swim to the egg.

7) After another 6-8 weeks you will see little ferns come up; the first frond will be about 1/2" tall. Thin them out so they are about 3" apart.

8) In the spring give them a long time to adjust to the dry outside air by opening the top of your container a little bit each day. The open time should increase more and more for two weeks. If they look bad, close it up again until they recover, then try again. This is where I lose the most ferns; they have a hard time adjusting.

9) Plant ferns in a mostly shady spot, but not too shady. They are very fussy so keep an eye on them quite frequently for the first year.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Pteridophyta

Classes

Marattiopsida
Osmundopsida
Gleicheniopsida
Pteridopsida



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