Ferns are a perennial favorite plant in both homes and gardens. They experience surges in popularity from time to time—some of us are old enough to remember the “fern bars” of the 70s and 80s. But ferns are a classic addition to any garden space, due to the visual interest they add, the range of shades and shapes they offer, and (for some varietals) their ease of care. For indoor gardeners or those of us with shade gardens, ferns are a wonderful choice as they often thrive under those conditions. These lovely plants are just fun to grow, so let’s dig in and learn about ferns in the garden, as houseplants, and as the botanical wonders that they are.
What are Ferns?
Ferns are all members of the class Polypodiopsida, divided into three major groups: the families Ophioglossaceae and Marattiaceae and the leptosporangiate ferns, which in turn comprise 40-plus families. This is a large and diverse group of plants to group under one name, but all true ferns have a few key things in common:
· Ferns are mostly herbaceous plants, meaning that they lack woody growth. Some ferns have limited woody growth in the stem, but these are the minority.
· Fern leaves, called fronds, have one central vein and a distinct feathery structure. Fronds initially grow in a tight spiral and then unroll as they mature, contributing to the distinct look of the fern plant.
· Ferns don’t produce flowers or seeds; rather, they reproduce by releasing spores from the undersides of their fronds. There’s an interesting reason for this—ferns evolved before flowering plants and retain this older means of reproduction.
Ferns are different from other plants, both in appearance and in their growth/reproduction mechanisms. This is due to their age. Ferns are ancient plants, connecting us back to the age of the dinosaurs and a reminder that the world is much older than we are. This contributes to their fascinating nature and explains why some gardeners are so passionate about growing different varieties of ferns at home.
Growing and Caring for Ferns
Understanding what makes ferns unique helps us grow them at home. With thousands of varietals of fern available for home and garden, there’s probably a fern that will work well in your space. For outdoor ferns, we recommend as always that you consult with your local garden club or cooperative extension to find something that will work best in your climate. The other thing we recommend is finding a varietal that works with the other plants in your pace. Some ferns produce upright growth, adding visual interest to the garden, while others are low-lying and function almost as a ground cover plant. A combination of the two, interspersed with other shade plants, can create eye-catching combinations of colors, shades, and textures across different levels. This effect can be as subtle or as striking as you’d like, limited only by your imagination for the space available. Some ferns are notorious for spreading throughout a garden space. Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) is notorious for this and for its striking upright growth.
Indoor gardeners have a huge number of options for ferns in their garden space. Boston ferns (Nephrolepis exaltata) are by far the most popular. They can be employed as a hanging plant, with the long fronts draping down around the container, or as a container plant on a table or even in a larger container on the floor. N. exaltata tolerates low humidity better than most ferns, making it a good “starter” fern for those of us new to these plants. For indoor gardeners who are willing to make use of an indoor greenhouse or other means of enhancing humidity, ferns of the genus Pteris are an option. Often called brake ferns or table ferns, these are smaller plants than Boston ferns, with lovely light green or even silvery coloration depending on varietal. They tend to like smaller containers with plenty of water and humidity, but within those limitations are are fairly easy to grow and frankly just beautiful little plants. For indoor gardeners looking for a smaller fern which can tolerate drier conditions and less humidity, the button fern (Pellaea rotundifolia) is a good option. Button fern does well in smaller containers and less-humid conditions, but they do require regular watering to thrive. If the young fronds start to fall off, your button fern needs more water.
Whew! That’s a lot of information to get you started, and we’ll probably revisit ferns in a future blog so we can discuss them in more depth. We hope this inspires you to add a few ferns to your garden space. Whether indoors or outside, ferns bring both a unique look and a connection to deep time into any garden space. If you have ferns, we’d love to see them so please send photos! Gardzen is all about community and we’d love to hear from you!
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