fern are some of the oldest member of the plant kingdom . Existing long before the dinosaurs roamed the earth , fossil evidence indicates they have been around at least 300 million years . Along with club moss , spikemoss , horsetail , and quillworts , ferns belong to thePteridophytefamily , which accounts for some of the most divers plant on world . Ferns do not bloom , yet they are the most ornamental of plants . Their lush foliage , various texture , and complex sort make them an excellent choice for a all-inclusive variety of landscapes .
Once established , ferns are undemanding and ask very little concern . They grow in shadowed environments that would discourage fussier plant life . Most fern mintage favor slimly acid , woodsy soil , with regular moisture . The accompanying photo is of a fern garden that has existed since the 1930s and mayhap longer . For the past 23 years , the current property owner has leave the ferns alone to turn as they please . Despite their benignant carelessness , they are quite hefty and happy as well as extraordinarily beautiful in their woodland setting .
FERN BOTANY
Ferns have no flowers , but the beauty , variety show , and graceful presence they lend to the garden make up for any lack of flowered display . The nature and botanical structure of ferns is actually much more complicated than can be expressed within the scope of this clause . However , to empathize the unique nature of fern , it ’s utilitarian to believe a few basics regarding their botanical social organization .
Roots . The roots of fern are produced by undercover structures calledrhizomes . The rhizome may be one of two type , creeping or clumping . Creeping rhizomes develop from several inch to one foot per year and take form a turgid colony . Clumping rootstock are slow raise and form a tight thumping . know whether a fern is a creeper or a clumper is an important fact to take account when incorporate these industrial plant into your landscape .
Stems . A fern stem lift from the growing bakshish of an surreptitious rhizome . The portion of the stem just above ground and below the leafy body structure is called astipe(stalk ) . The stipe , which deliver scale , hair or glands , acts as a support structure and connects the radical to the leafy part of the plant life . The upper part of the stem or mid - rib ( main axis ) , stand the leafy structure , is called arachis .
Fronds . The leafy structure of a fern is foretell afrond . Its complete “ foliage ” is made up of two parts , a stipe and a more or less triangularblade(leafy part ) . Reduced to very introductory terms , a blade is either simple ( undivided ) or chemical compound ( divided into leaflets calledpinnae ) . As a new frond emerges from the summit of the plant , it is tightly coiled into what is have sex as acrozier(similar in coming into court to a sheepman ’s crook ) orfiddlehead(similar in coming into court to the caput of the musical instrument ) .
Reproductive structures . Ferns are essentially crude plants that procreate by microscopic one - celled procreative units calledspores . This signalize ferns from flowering or cone - wear works . The spore are produced in theca - like structures calledsporangia . The sporangia are aggregated in groups calledsori(or sorus , remarkable ) on the underside of the frond . Sori contain both eggs cells and spermatozoon cellular phone . The arrangement , location and numeral of sori are used to help identify fern coinage .
NATIVE FERNS COMMONLY GROWN IN THE MID - ATLANTIC orbit
more or less 12,000 fern species are scattered worldwide . fern are native to every part of North America , from the hot , ironic desert region of the Southwest to the humid , moist swampland of the South to the cold cragged areas of the North . The United States National Arboretum website states that more than 500 sort of audacious fern can be grown in American gardens . About 100 species populate the northeastern part of the country alone . The inclination below include a sampling of ferns that are native to the Mid - Atlantic region . The real inclination of native ferns is far too all-inclusive to let in in this article .
Ebony Spleenwort ( Asplenium platyneuron)is an tumid , powerfully vertical fern species averaging 8 ” to 22 . ” Native throughout the entire eastern half of the United States , this evergreen clumping mintage prefer light shadowiness and canonic or slightly acidic soils . It has substitute pinnae that overlap the rachis . Reputed to heal disorders of the spleen and liver , it was named by Pliny the senior and comes from the Greek ( a= without andsplen= spleen ) .
Christmas Fern ( Polystichum acrostichoides)is an easily recognized evergreen species commonly found in shaded timberland options in the wild . It produces 1 ’ to 2 ’ long calendered , deep greenish fronds and has a slightly coarser texture than most fern . It furnish a bit of much needed vividness in the wintertime landscape although it may mat down from the weight unit of Baron Snow of Leicester on the fronds . In bounce , pewter - colored Pteretis struthiopteris emerge from the crown and the honest-to-goodness fronds slicing forth as the new ones mature . Christmas fern is one of the most shade- and drouth - large-minded ferns for this area of the country . While it prefers a shady scope , it will take some sun if the soil is moist .
Cinnamon Fern ( Osmunda cinnamomea),one of the tall of the native fern , grows in full sunlight or low-cal tincture in average garden grunge and will grow even taller in consistently moist , even wet , soil . Give it great deal of space in the landscape painting because it can get to be quite expectant . This thud - forming beauty pay back its name from the cinnamon - color shaggy sporangial ( spore - bearing ) case on the ornamental fecund fronds . hummingbird sometimes use the shaggy “ wool ” for nesting stuff . The 3 ’ to 5 ’ retentive pale green frond turn a dark dark-green color during the summertime . In autumn , the green fronds fade to a bronze - white-livered hue .
Hay - scented Fern ( Dennstaedtia punctilobula)gets its name from the sweetened , hay - like odor it give off when the foliation is bruised . It spreads by shallow rhizome that sprout new 3 ’ long fronds approximately every 3 inches . This fast - growing crawler can rapidly form colonies and can become invasive in sealed options . In fact , it is considered a nuisance plant life in some northerly country where impenetrable pedestal of it cast dense shade on the woodland level reducing plant and wildlife diversity . It is mostly not a in effect selection for the motley shade garden where it might crowd out other species . However , if planted in the right stage setting , it can be a very effective ground cover for sun or shade and a utilitarian way to bottle up weeds . In fall , the leaf turns wan yellow or copper .
Interrupted Fern ( Osmunda claytoniana)grows in an upright spreading - vase form and looks similar to cinnamon fern but is lighter fleeceable in people of color and has broader pinnae . Interrupted fern commonly grow about 2 ’ to 4 ’ tall , but it can extend up to 5 ’ marvellous in productive , systematically damp soil . This fern bring forth its name from the localization of the spore - carry pinnae that modernize in the middle of the frond , thus “ interrupt ” the pinnae formations . The pinnae hang off in mid - summertime , get out the stem spare in the middle . Osmundafern species develop from heavy rootstalk and are the source forOsmundafiber , the stuff used to tidy sum orchid . Like many ferns , this specie may take several years to become establish .
Lady Fern ( Athyrium filix - femina)has soft , lacy 3 ’ long frond that unfurl pale green and twist darker green as the time of year progresses . Lady fern often mutates , creating various semi - crested or ruffled variant . It has also been crossed with some of the AsianAthyriumspecies to make interesting new loanblend . This North American deciduous species is one of the easiest of the native species to maturate . It grows from slowly creep rhizome and is equal to of line up to internet site with deviate degree of sun or ghost provided the dirt is reasonably moist . This fern , widely spread throughout North America , is also coarse in Europe . In fact , about 200 species ofAthyriumare distributed worldwide .
Maidenhair Fern ( Adiantum pedatum)is one of the most elegant and graceful of our aboriginal species . A clop species , it typically spreads slowly by creeping rootstock in well - drain organic soil . Its bright green , 12 ” to 20 ” long , bright dark-green , fingered fronds cascade in layer on shiny , black stems . While maidenhair fern fern thrives in bright light , it can not tolerate direct sunlight . Once the fronds wilt from heat or drought , they can not recover and the plant must produce new fronds . Do n’t confuse this specie withAdiantum tenerumorA. capillus - veneris , both of which are grow as houseplants .
Marginal Wood Fern ( Dryopteris marginalis)is an attractive , sturdy , evergreen clumper that spring from a single crown . The 1 ’ to 2 ’ long fronds are dark green , leathery , and passably formal in appearance with their erect to arch growth habit . Although quite graceful , this metal money is a act of a prima donna regarding moisture . It likes hummus - fat , acidic , well - debilitate soil but it does n’t like for the dirt to dry out out . As a result , it may require a piddling more attention than most ferns to murder that sweet place .
Ostrich Fern ( Matteuccia struthiopteris)is one of the marvellous and most impressive look of the aboriginal fern species . Topping out at 4 ’ to 6′ tall , it has bright green , just deciduous fronds that circulate a narrow base . The dark-brown , spore - stomach frond , which are separate from the immature fronds , harden and persist through insensate atmospheric condition , lending an architectural constituent to the wintertime landscape . This is the fiddlehead fern that restaurants and home cooks prize for its grassy , asparagus - like flavor . A deciduous species , ostrich fern thrives in average to moist soil and mottled sunshine . This creeper spreads by shallow , string - like rootstalk , which acquire new clumps a animal foot or two out . It can easily naturalise in sites with dappled sunlight . In northerly parts of the country , it will grow in full sun as long as it has dampish soil .
Royal Fern ( Osmunda spectabilis)is a tall , stiffly tumid , regal - looking fern specie usually found in moist forest throughout much of the Mid - Atlantic part . It adjust well in moist - to - wet domain allowing it to digest bright tone to full sun . With constant moisture , this clump - form species can reach 6 ’ or more . Like the otherOsmundaspecies , royal fern has good fall color , turn a soft golden shadiness . The fiddleheads are quite graceful but are believed to be carcinogenic and should not be eaten .
NON - aboriginal FERN SPECIES
As some of the oldest plant species on the satellite , many of the ferns we consider aboriginal also farm in other parts of the cosmos , the same species overlap between eastern North America , western Europe , and eastern Asia . A few non - natives and hybrids that have grown in popularity in this body politic are listed below .
Autumn Fern ( Dryopteris erythrosora)is common in the temperate forests of Asia . It emerges in the outpouring bearing shiny , red foliage , which fades to 2 ’ to 3 ’ long showy unripened fronds in summertime . The greenness is punctuated throughout the growing season with the visual aspect of new violent fronds . Once establish , this fern is very drought kind . ‘ grandeur ’ , one of the better recognise autumn fern pick , produces shiny red growth than the species and lasts longer into summer .
Japanese Painted Fern ( Athyrium niponicum ‘ pictum’)received the Perennial Plant of the Year Award in 2004 from the North American Perennial Plant Association . The first fern to be so honored , this pop outstanding Asiatic natural selection is highly versatile due to its portmanteau of silvery unripened and burgundy colors on 12 ” to 18″ fronds . One of the most colourful of ferns , it shows up well in partial shade and portmanteau word well with other fern species .
Nipponese Holly Fern ( Cyrtomium falcatum)gets its name from the resemblance of the pinna to holly leaves . Introduced in various southerly states , admit Virginia , this Asian species has naturalized in many areas of the world . Often used as a houseplant , its lustrous , bluff , arching , leathery foliation is very dramatic , planted either as a individual specimen or in large swaths . Although somewhat evergreen , it often looks quite tattered in the winter months .
Ghost Fern ( a hybrid ofAthyrium niponicumvar . ‘ pictum’andAthyrium filix - femina)is a slow - grow clump - form deciduous hybrid that typically grows about 30 ” tall . It has a shaggy-haired , vertical wont composed of fronds that are a soft gray - dark-green color . This hybrid combine the graceful , erect emergence of our North American aboriginal lady fern with the ghostly silvery gray coloring of Japanese painted fern . Contrasting dark maroon midribs heighten the effect . The silver colour is dear in the outpouring , its fronds becoming more grayish - green with the onset of raging weather condition .
Crested Lady Fern ( Athyrium filix - femina ‘ Dre ’s Dagger’)is a unequaled , gnome form of our aboriginal lady fern . It has dark green fronds that are symmetrically split into a three - dimensional , criss - cross approach pattern . habituate it as a feature film at the front of an evenly moist , shady border where you may appreciate such a classifiable and intricate leaf structure .
CULTURAL prerequisite OF FERNS
Soil – In general , ferns prefer moist but well - drained stain that has been amended with a generous amount of organic textile . Most ferns can stick out poor soil and a pH of 4 to 7 .
Light Requirements – Although partial to shade , some coinage , such as lady fern ( Athyrium felix - femina ) and hay - perfumed fern ( Dennstaedtia punctilobula ) can digest some sun provide the soil is somewhat moist .
Water requisite – In oecumenical , ferns prefer consistently moist soil , but some species can bear wet filth while others can tolerate drier conditions .
Pests and disease – Slugs may assault ferns in late fountain but , in general , these plant are free of pests and disease . Deer , rabbits , and other mammalian do n’t normally bother them .
natural spring care – Divide and transplantation fern as soon as new ontogeny appears . Ferns may need to be separate if the frond appear to be smaller than in previous season or if a dead country develops in the center of the clump . To split up the clump , grind up the entire works and cut the most vigorous office into section . Replant the divisions at the original depth . Keep the divisions moist until they are well establish .
Summer upkeep – cater supplementary H2O if there ’s not enough rain to keep the soil moist .
Fall care – After a kill freeze , cut the dead foliage of deciduous mintage back to the crown .
LANDSCAPING WITH FERNS
fern are quite useful all year round in the landscape . The exotic - sounding , bright green “ fiddleheads ” of many fern coinage append instant texture and interest to the spring landscape painting . The luxuriant , dark - gullible foliage provides a cool , calming front in the summertime garden . In fall , some fern species twist golden yellow-bellied or coppery brown , blending in with all the various autumn chromaticity of woody and herbaceous plantings . In winter , a few fearless fern metal money leave color and grain to an otherwise dull landscape painting .
There ’s a fern for every pauperization . Upright fern such as royal fern , cinnamon fern or ostrich fern offer tallness and play . Lady fern , ebony spleenwort , and some of the forest ferns ( Dryopterisspecies ) provide a round or mounded shape . Maidenhair fern , Nipponese painted fern , or autumn fern lend a pleasing cascading or draping effect .
SOURCES
Armitage ’s Native Plants for North American Gardens(Armitage , Allan M. 2006 )
aboriginal Plants of the Southeast , A Comprehensive Guide to the Best 460 Species for the Garden(Mellichamp , Larry , 2014 )
The Plant Lover ’s Guide to Ferns(Steffen , Richie and Olsen , Sue , 2015 )
“ Ferns of the Blue Ridge , ” U. S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service General Technical Report SE-15 ( Krochmal , Arnold and Connie , 1979 )
“ Rain Garden Plants , ” Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication 426 - 043,Va . Coop . Ext.vt.edu
Piedmont Virginia Native Plant Database , Ferns Native to Albemarle County
The United States National Arboretum , FAQs on Ferns
