Flowers and plants

Ferns 

This page contains following subjects:

• Introduction
• Use
• Care
• Some species

Introduction 

Information is based on a moderate climate such as in Holland.
Ferns are well know plants. If not,  take a walk in the woods and you see many of them. The largest ferns are the tree ferns witch can grow till more than14 meter high. There are climbers, water species and mini ferns. Also there are species who can grow on the cool places in the desert. Some species are winter hard. Ferns show us in spring time their amazingly beautiful curled new leaves.

Ferns are divided into three classes:

• Filicopsida; ferns
• Sphenopsida; horse tales (Equisetum)
• Lycopsida; wolfs claw and guilwort

The shape of the leave can divided in:

• Not deep laciniate shape; as by Asplenium
• Deep laciniate shape; as by Nephrolepis
• Double laciniate shape; as by Dryopteris
• Double compound leaf hape; as by Davallia

The shape of the leave have in detail many different shapes. We look to the edge of the leafs and the texture. Entire, crenated, leathery, powdered, scalloped and many more possibilities.

The multiplying by ferns not happens with flowers and seed. Ferns make very small spore under the leaf. A spore developed itself to a prothallium. These have as well male and female organs and can take care for fertilization. Finally a new fern plant will be born.
A fern also can  multiply vegetative, via young plants who grow beside the old plants.

The colors of the leaves is mainly green. But there are also with pink edges, white stripes and so on.

Use

There are ferns species who can grow in the moderate climate only in the house. And there are very nice species for the garden. Ferns ask for a surrounding with water, a lot of shade and a high humidity. Ferns do not like wind and draught. Know some species in the garden can grow quite big.
In flower art we can use the leaves of the fern in all kind of arrangements. Use the fully grown leaves.

Ferns in the house need a high humidity, minimal 50, but better is about. 65 % relative. Also it is important to keep the soil wet. Give them also regularly nutrition. Keep a eye on insects as louse. Especially cottony maple scale, scale insects and woolly aphid are very harmful.
In the garden ferns will be eaten by snails.

Ferns for the garden

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Last update of this page 23.05.2004