FERN PLANTS GALLERY PAGES
Site Map for pages with photo content (o)

Fern Culture
from Sections 1-10 of Ferns and Fern Culture by J. Birkenhead, F.R.H.S.
Published by John Heywood in Manchester in
May, 1892 with
Rules for Fern Culture
followed by
Sections
1 Modes of Growth
2 Compost
3 Compost for various Genera, growing in pots, pans or baskets
4 Various Habits of Ferns
5 Various Modes of Cultivation
6 Light
7 Temperature
8 Ferns in Dwelling-Houses
9 Propagation (in Use in Brackish Water in Coastal District Page)
10 Selection of Ferns

with

British Ferns and their Allies comprising the Ferns, Club-mosses, Pepperworts and Horsetails by Thomas Moore, F.L.S, F.H.S., Etc. London George Routledge and Sons, Broadway, Ludgate Hill. Hardcover published in 1861 provides details on British Ferns

TYPE OF FERN TO GROW
....Aquatic
....Boston/ Fishbone/
Lace/ Sword
....Cloak/Lip/Hand
....Filmy and Crepe
....Lacy Ground
(o)Lady
....Maidenhair
(o)Miscellaneous
(o)Primitive/ Oddities
....Scrambling/ Umbrella/ Coral/ Pouch
....Selaginellas
(o)Shield/ Buckler/ Holly
....Squirrel/ Rabbit/ Hare's Foot
....Staghorn/ Elkhorn/ Epiphyte
....Tassel, Clubmoss
....The Brakes
....The Polypodies
(o)The Spleenworts
....The Tree Ferns
....Water/ Hard/ Rasp/ Chain

Where to see

UNITED STATES
San Antonio Botanical Garden.
San Diego Botanic Garden.
San Francisco Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum.
Sarah P. Duke Gardens.
Tyringham Cobble.
UNC at Charlotte Botanical Gardens.
University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley.
USCS Arboretum.
Whitehall Historic Home and Garden.
Wild Gardens of Acadia.
Zilker Botanical Garden.

WALES
Aberglasney Gardens.
Dewstow Gardens.
Dyffryn Gardens.

USE OF FERN
(o)Cold-hardy
(o)From Lime-hating Soil
(o)From Limestone Soil
(o)Hanging Basket
(o)Indoor Decoration
(o)Outdoor Pot
(o)Terrariums
(o)Wet Soils
(o)Ground Cover
(o)Pendulous Fronds

Where to see

AUSTRALIA
Adelaide Botanic Garden.
Brisbane Botanic Garden.
Mount Lofty Botanic Garden.
Royal Botanic Garden, Melbourne.
Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney.

CANADA
Le Jardin Botanique de Montreal.
Les Jardins de Metis.
Van Dusen Botanical Garden.

ENGLAND
Biddulph Grange Garden.
Brodsworth Hall and Gardens.
Cambridge University Botanic Gardens.
Chelsea Physic Garden.
Harlow Carr Botanic Gardens.
RHS Garden Wisley.
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.
Savill Gardens.
Sizergh Castle and Garden.
Southport Botanic Gardens.
Tatton Park.
Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens.
University of Oxford Botanic Garden.

FRANCE
Jardin Botanique de Lyon.
Parc Phoenix-Nice.

GERMANY
Arktisch-Alpiner Garten.
Botanischer Garten und Museum.
Flora und Botanischer Garten Koln.

IRELAND
Caher Bridge Garden.
Kells Bay Gardens.

NETHERLANDS
Hortus Botanicus Leiden.

SPORE COLOUR
Spore

BED PICTURES
Garden
 

Where to see

NEW ZEALAND
Franz Fernery at the Auckland Domain Park.
Pukeiti Rhododendron Trust Garden.
Pukekura Park.

SCOTLAND
Arduaine Garden.
Ascog Hall Gardens and Victorian Fernery.
Attadale Gardens.
Benmore Botanic Garden.
Glasgow Botanic Garden.
Inverewe Garden and Estate.
Linn Botanic Gardens.
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

UNITED STATES
Atlanta Botanical Garden.
Balboa Park.
Barnes Foundation Arboretum.
Bartholomew's Cobble.
Bellevue Botanical Garden.
Berkshire Botanical Garden.
Bloedal Reserve.
Bok Tower Gardens.
Botanical Gardens at Asheville.
Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Cailfornia State Unversity at Sacramento.
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies.
Chanticleer.
Chicago Botanic Garden.
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden.
Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden.
Denver Botanic Gardens.
Elandan Gardens.
Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden.
Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden.
Fern Canyon.
Ferndell Canyon in Griffith Park.
Fort Worth Botanic Garden.
Frelinghuysen Arboretum.
Garden in the Woods.
Garvan Woodland Gardens.
Ganna Walska Lotusland.
Georgeson Botanical Garden.
Georgia Perimeter College Botanical Gardens

All Hardy Fern Foundation members have unlimited access to our spore exchange and can choose from a wide variety of ferns. Our resource pages include publications and books about ferns as well as useful websites.

A Natural History of Britain's Ferns by Christopher N. Page. Published by William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd in 1988. ISBN 0 00 219382 5 (limpback edition) provides details of Coastal, Man-made Landscapes, Woodland, Wetland, Grassland and Rock Outcrops, Heath and Moorland, Lower Mountain Habitats, Upper Mountain Habitats and Atlantic Fringe Ferns.
I have provided a brief summary in the Ferns in Coastal District with associated plants and Ferns for Man-Made Landscapes with associated plants pages and provided you with the Chapter number for the others, since the information within this book is so comprehensive, that it would need to be completely copied to be of most use.

Tree Ferns by Mark F. Large & John E. Braggins. Published by Timber Press in 2004. ISBN 978-1-60469-176-4 is a scientifically accurate book dealing with Tree Fern species cultivated in the United States and the Pacific, but little known and rare tree ferns are also included.

The Observer's Book of Ferns, revised by Francis Rose, previous editions compiled by W.J.Stokoe. Published by Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd in 1965 provides a comprehensive guide to 45 British species of Ferns. It provides details of habitat and how to use those ferns.

The Plant Lover's Guide to Ferns by Richard Steffen & Sue Olsen. Published in 2015 by Timber Press, Inc. ISBN 978-1-60469-
474-1. It provides details on designing with ferns and details on 140 ferns for the garden in the USA.

Success with Indoor Ferns, edited by Lesley Young. Reprinted 1998. ISBN 1 85391 554 8. It details the care of indoor ferns with their position, choice and fern care.

See
Ferns in Britain and Ireland
or the

British Pteridological Society
for further details and photos.

Mail Order UK Fern Nursery
Shady Plants has ferns for
Vertical Fern Gardens and Companion Plants for growing with Ferns.

Where to see

UNITED STATES
Harry P. Leu Gardens.
Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden.
Holden Arboretum.
Honolulu Botanical Gardens.
Huntington Botanical Gardens.
Huntsville-Madison County Botanical Garden.
Inniswood Metro Gardens.
Kruckeberg Botanic Garden.
Lakewold Gardens.
Leach Botanical Garden.
Leonard J. Buck Garden.
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.
Longwood Gardens.
Lyndhurst Gardens.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.
Matthaei Botanical Gardens.
Memphis Botanic Garden.
Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens.
Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens.
Michigan State University.
Missouri Botanical Garden.
Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania.
Mount Pisgah Arboretum.
Mt. Cuba Center.
National Tropical Botanical Garden.
New Jersey State Botanical Garden at Skyland.
New York Botanical Garden.
Norfolk Botanical Garden.
North Carolina Botanical Garden.
Olbrich Botanical Garden.
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.
Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park.
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden.
Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.
Rotary Gardens.

 

USE OF FERN - House Fern Page 3 of 6

Fern suitable for Indoor Decoration
"Appendix 1 of The Encyclopaedia of Ferns An Introduction to Ferns, their Structure, Biology, Economic Importance, Cultivation and Propagation by David L. Jones ISBN 0 88192 054 1, provides the following list of Ferns suitable for Indoor Decoration:-"

USE OF FERN as Indoor Ferns in the UK from Ferns for Home and Garden Flowers & Plants. Published by Magna Books in 1995. ISBN 1 85422 888 9. Design and text of plan, planting plan, flowering and colour scheme: Bureau Willemien Dijkshoorn BNT, Amsterdam:-
 

Fern/

Region/

Light Tolerance/

Comments

Foliage Colour and
Shape/ Division

Height x Spread in inches (cms)
(1 inch =
2.5 cms,
12 inches =
1 foot
12 inches =
30 cms,
24 inches =
2 feet,
3 feet =
1 yard,
40 inches = 100 cms)
 

Type of Fern to Grow

Use of Fern

Comments

Frond

Credit
is usually for Denver Botanic Gardens,
Wikimedia Commons,
Dana Kelley Bressette of Nativeplants PNW.com
or
Chris Garnons-Williams

Form

Cyrtomium caryotideum

Temperate - Tropical

Bright

attractive

Cyrtomium caryotideum falcatum and cultivars

Temperate - Tropical

Dull-Bright

hardy and adaptable

Cyrtomium caryotideum macrophyllum

Subtropical - Tropical

Bright

adaptable

Davallia bullata

Hare's-foot Fern, Squirrel's-foot fern, Deer's foot Fern, Ball Fern

India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan

Davallia (deersfoot fern, hare's foot fern, shinobu fern, rabbit foot fern, ball fern is a genus of about 40 species of ferns in the family Davalliaceae. They are epiphytic ferns, with fronds arising from long aerial rhizomes which grow on and over thick bark on trees or on rock crevices. Davallia are often used in hanging baskets because the rhizomes split into sections and the surface is covered quickly. Unlike other ferns, Davallia tolerate low levels of humidity.

Temperate - Subtropical

Dull-Bright

very hardy

Rootstock creeping, clothed with whitish or light brown hair-like scales; leaves scattered, 6-10 inches (15-25 cms) long, 4-6 inches (10-15 cms) wide, quadripinnatifid, with deeply incised segments; texture firm.

It is epiphytic, that is to say in its natural environment it grows mainly on trees. A mature plant can grow to a height of 15 – 20 centimetres with a similar width.

The bluish green, tripinnate leaves are alternate. The leaflets are linear and have entire margins. The perennials prefer a half-shady situation on moist soil. They tolerate temperatures only above at least 1°C (USDA zone 10). The ornamental value of Davallia bullata lies especially in the ornamental leaves.

6-8 x 16
(15-20 x 40)

Davallia Ferns (Araiostegia, Davallia, Davallodes, Gymno-grammitis, Humata, Leucostegia, Scyphularia, Trogostolon)

Propagation: By spores sown on surface of sandy peat in pans under bell-glass in temperature 55-75F (13-24C) at any time; division of rhizomes in February or March.

See Growing Davallia Species Indoors in Davallia corniculata description.

Suitable for

House Fern in a Trough by windowsill in a Heated Greenhouse, Hanging Basket, Fernball or Terrarium in UK. Shade-tolerant Fern growing on trees (epiphytic) in Woodland in native habitat.
Colour in Fern Fronds.
Ground Cover.

Greenhouse evergreen Ferns.
Culture of Greenhouse Species:Compost, 2 parts loam, 1 part leaf-mould, peat, pounded charcoal and sand. Pot, March or April. Position, pots or baskets in part shade. Water moderately September to March, freely afterwards. Temperature, September to March 40-50F (4-10C), March to September 50-60F (10-15C).

Greenhouse Evergreen Fern.

It grows readily in a basket or pot of coarse mixture. Plants become deciduous over winter and should be kept on the dry side until new fronds appear.

Often sold for house cultivation in the form of a fern-ball.

It grows well in shady places. It grows from 20 to 35 cm. It has deciduous bullata and its leaflets are linear.

Davallia bullata is a house plant with attractive dark green leaves and hairy dark brown rhizomes (horizontal roots) resembling the hooves of a deer, hence ‘Deer’s foot fern’. Davalia bullata is a must for any lover of exotic plants. It is characterised by shiny triangular fronds and distinctive root stalks. It is suitable for a windowsill or a terrarium with plenty of light and circulating air.

Davallia bullata. Date: 21 August 2007. By Frank Vincentz wit permission GFDL (self made) via Wikimedia Commons.

Davallia bullata. Date: 21 August 2007. By Frank Vincentz wit permission GFDL (self made) via Wikimedia Commons.

"Old plants of Davallia may be cut into a number of smaller ones with a sharp knife. Planted firmly into shallow pans and placed in a temperature of 60-65F (15-18C), they soon develop into symetrical plants. The rhizomes should be firmly fastened to soil by strong copper-wire staples, where they will root in a short time. To gain a large number of small plants, the rhizomes should be detached, cleaned from all soil and roots, laid on sand and thinly covered with moss. Placed in a shaded position in a temperature of 65-70F (18-21C), and kept moderately moist, a number of small plants will develop from the dormant eyes, which may be separately potted as soon as of sufficient size.
Spores of Davallia should be sown on a fine compost of soil, leaf-mould or peat and sand in equal parts, and placed in a shaded position in a temperature of 60-65F (15-18C). All the operations of propagation of Davallias will be most successful if conducted during the spring months. All Davallias delight in a rich and open compost, an abundance of light and air, and moisture at their roots, a temperature of 60-65F (15-18C), and a through syringing every bright day." from The Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture by L.H. Bailey in three volumes. Published by the Macmillan Company in 1939 - Originally published in 1914, rewritten, enlarged and reset by L.H. Bailey in 1928.

Davallia bullata
maiesii

Temperate - Subtropical

Dull-Bright

very hardy

Davallia solida (Trichomanes solidum;
Davallia solida var. latifolia;
D. solida var. ornata;
D. subsolida; Humata solida; Stenolobus solidus + others with their occurrences throughout world)

CHAMORRO: Pugua 'machena.
CHINESE: 阔叶骨碎补 kuo ye gu sui bu
PALAU: Luukbedaoch.
Ornate leafs used for floral decorations in fiestas and religious rituals.

Giant Hare's-foot, Polynesian davallia.

Guangdong, Guangxi, Taiwan, Yunnan [Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam (Tonkin); Pacific islands.

Subtropical - Tropical

Bright

adaptable

A handsome fern, with large feathery fronds that are usually dark green and shiny. These are coarsely-divided and are often a dark purple when young. The thick rhizomes grow stiffly away from the compost.

There is considerable range in the degree of frond division.

Rootstock clothed with adpressed scales or fibers: leaves 1-2 feet (12-24 inches, 30-60 cms) long, 12-15 inches (30-37.5 cms) wide, the center of the apex broad and undivided; segments broad and slightly cut; indusia marginal.

Sori terminal on veinlets, at margin of ultimate segments; involucre cup-shaped, up to 1.5 mm long, about twice as long as wide.

24-48 x
(60-120 x )

Davallia Ferns (Araiostegia, Davallia, Davallodes, Gymno-grammitis, Humata, Leucostegia, Scyphularia, Trogostolon)

Propagation: By spores sown on surface of sandy peat in pans under bell-glass in temperature 55-75F (13-24C) at any time; division of rhizomes in February or March.

See Growing Davallia Species Indoors in Davallia corniculata description.

Suitable for

House Fern on cork or rock in a Trough or in a Hanging Basket within a Conservatory in the UK.
Grow on rock or tree trunks in native habitat.
Epilithic on rocks and Epiphytic on tree trunks or cork.
Shade-Tolerant Fern.
Coastal Districts. Use Fronds in Floral Decorations.
Limestone or Basic Soils.

Stove evergreen Ferns.
Culture of Stove Species: Compost, 2 parts loam, 1 part leaf-mould, peat, pounded charcoal and sand. Pot, February, March or April. Position, pots or hanging baskets in light part of plant stove. Water moderately October to February, freely afterwards. Temperature, September to March 55-60F (13-15C), March to September 65-75F (18-24C).
 

Stove Evergreen Fern.

Makes an attractive basket plant.

Epiphytic, epilithic on different kinds of rocks, or terrestrial on different kinds of soils, in exposed places or in deep shade, from open rocky places and savannas to primary rain forests; sea level to 1500 m. Davallia solida is a widespread species and generally is easily recognizable by the black rhizome, which bears hairy scales that soon fall off leaving only the bases.

It has medium- to longer creeping rhizomes and grows well under medium light in potting mix or uncut moss kept moist-dry and given good drainage.

On tree trunks or on rocks in half-shaded places or in some dense evergreen forests at altitudes below 300 m in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.

Davalia solida. By Jerzy Opioła via Wikimedia Commons.

"Old plants of Davallia may be cut into a number of smaller ones with a sharp knife. Planted firmly into shallow pans and placed in a temperature of 60-65F (15-18C), they soon develop into symetrical plants. The rhizomes should be firmly fastened to soil by strong copper-wire staples, where they will root in a short time. To gain a large number of small plants, the rhizomes should be detached, cleaned from all soil and roots, laid on sand and thinly covered with moss. Placed in a shaded position in a temperature of 65-70F (18-21C), and kept moderately moist, a number of small plants will develop from the dormant eyes, which may be separately potted as soon as of sufficient size.
Spores of Davallia should be sown on a fine compost of soil, leaf-mould or peat and sand in equal parts, and placed in a shaded position in a temperature of 60-65F (15-18C). All the operations of propagation of Davallias will be most successful if conducted during the spring months. All Davallias delight in a rich and open compost, an abundance of light and air, and moisture at their roots, a temperature of 60-65F (15-18C), and a through syringing every bright day." from The Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture by L.H. Bailey in three volumes. Published by the Macmillan Company in 1939 - Originally published in 1914, rewritten, enlarged and reset by L.H. Bailey in 1928.

Davallia tricho-manoides +
(Davallia dissecta, Davallia bullata;
D. cylindrica;
D. mariesii;
D. mariesii var. stenolepis;
D. petelotii;
D. stenolepis;
D. trichomanoides var. bullata; Trogostolon yunnanensis)

Hare's-foot or Squirrel's-foot Fern, black rabbit's foot fern

骨碎补 gu sui bu

Malaysia, New Guinea, Indonesia

Temperate -
Subtropical

Dull-Bright

very hardy

Valued for its neat habit, refreshing lacy fronds and interesting furry rhizomes which wander at will.

Plants are deciduous for a short period but new fronds are quickly produced. In the typical form, the rhizome scales are yellowish-brown and in forma barbata they are reddish-brown and the frond margins are less deeply incised. The variety lorrainii has dark-coloured rhizome scales and sparser fronds than other forms.

Can grow in cool areas in native districts.

A tender, clump-forming, spreading, deciduous fern. Davallia trichomanoides will reach a height of 0.45m and a spread of 0.3m after 5-10 years.
Under glass, grow in equal mix leaf mould or peat substitute, moss, bark, sharp sand, charcoal, & pine needles in high humidity & bright indirect light. In growth, water moderately & mist daily. Outdoors, grow in moist, open soil in part shade. Indoor heated (H1), Tender in frost (H3).
USDA zones 11, 10, 9

8-16 x
(20-40 x )

Glass Box Tropicals was created in 2012 in order to provide terrarium hobbyists with an increasingly vast assortment of plants suited for use with poison dart frogs. In addition to growing many of the plants that we offer, we also work with select commercial nurseries in the United States of America and abroad. As Glass Box Tropicals has grown, we have also begun to offer a wide array of other supplies commonly needed when growing plants, building and maintaining terrariums, culturing and caring for microfauna, and caring for poison dart frogs and other terrarium inhabitants. Many of the products we now offer are sourced from all over the world in order to aid you in building your personal rainforest. We are located in Lansing, Michigan and are currently an online store only.

Davallia Ferns (Araiostegia, Davallia, Davallodes, Gymno-grammitis, Humata, Leucostegia, Scyphularia, Trogostolon)

Propagation: By spores sown on surface of sandy peat in pans under bell-glass in temperature 55-75F (13-24C) at any time; division of rhizomes in February or March.

See Growing Davallia Species Indoors in Davallia corniculata description.

Suitable for

House Fern in Trough Garden or Terrarium in the UK.
Hanging Basket in Conservatory in UK.
Grow in rock garden or on tree trunks in the shade in native habitat and USDA zones 10 and 11.
Epiphytic and Epilithic.
Shade-tolerant.
Drier Soil.
Cold-hardy.
Ground Cover.

Stove and greenhouse evergreen Ferns.
Culture of Stove Species: Compost, 2 parts loam, 1 part leaf-mould, peat, pounded charcoal and sand. Pot, February, March or April. Position, pots or hanging baskets in light part of plant stove. Water moderately October to February, freely afterwards. Temperature, September to March 55-60F (13-15C), March to September 65-75F (18-24C).
Culture of Greenhouse Species: Compost, 2 parts loam, 1 part leaf-mould, peat, pounded charcoal and sand. Pot, March or April. Position, pots or baskets in part shade. Water moderately September to March, freely afterwards. Temperature, September to March 40-50F (4-10C), March to September 50-60F (10-15C).

Stove Evergreen Fern.
Greenhouse Evergreen Fern.

A popular fern with fern enthusiasts and general gardeners alike.

Excellent for baskets or pots.

Epiphytic and epilithic on different kinds of rocks, mostly in wet places, sometimes on dry, exposed places; 100-3500 m.

Partial or full shade is required for the growth of it. It can survive in dryness.

Davallia trichomanoides is one of the more commonly used ferns in a terrarium. This is due to its ability to be grown both terrestrially and epiphytically. Additionally, the fuzzy brown to black rhizomes also draw many customers to this plant. When grown in a terrarium, this species will generally have fronds about 8” (20 cm) in length and 3-5” (8.75 cm) in width. As it grows, the rhizomes will slowly spread sprouting up new leaves as they go.

Davallia trichomanoides at Garfield Park Conservatory. Date: 2 September 2016. By Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz via Wikimedia Commons.

"Old plants of Davallia may be cut into a number of smaller ones with a sharp knife. Planted firmly into shallow pans and placed in a temperature of 60-65F (15-18C), they soon develop into symetrical plants. The rhizomes should be firmly fastened to soil by strong copper-wire staples, where they will root in a short time. To gain a large number of small plants, the rhizomes should be detached, cleaned from all soil and roots, laid on sand and thinly covered with moss. Placed in a shaded position in a temperature of 65-70F (18-21C), and kept moderately moist, a number of small plants will develop from the dormant eyes, which may be separately potted as soon as of sufficient size.
Spores of Davallia should be sown on a fine compost of soil, leaf-mould or peat and sand in equal parts, and placed in a shaded position in a temperature of 60-65F (15-18C). All the operations of propagation of Davallias will be most successful if conducted during the spring months. All Davallias delight in a rich and open compost, an abundance of light and air, and moisture at their roots, a temperature of 60-65F (15-18C), and a through syringing every bright day." from The Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture by L.H. Bailey in three volumes. Published by the Macmillan Company in 1939 - Originally published in 1914, rewritten, enlarged and reset by L.H. Bailey in 1928.

Dicksonia antartica

Temperate - Subtropical

Dull-Bright

very hardy

Didymochlaena truncatula

Subtropical - Tropical

Dull-Bright

hardy and adaptable

Doryopteris pedata
Hand Fern, Digit Fern

Tropical Fen from West Indies, Central and South America.

Bright

Can be difficult.

Fronds are very variable, young, sterile fronds are maple shaped. Mature fertile fronds are deeply lobed and palmate.

The leaves can extend to about 30cm long and these are deeply lobed. They have a deep brown rim which matches the colour of the stems and leaf veins.

Fronds are variable and of two different shapes. The, young, sterile fronds look rather like a maple leaf, whilst the mature fertile fronds are deeply lobed and palmate.

20 x 12
(50 x 30)

Cloak, Lip, Hand Ferns and Their Hardy Relatives (Bommeria, Cheilanthes, Doryopteris, Gymnopteris, Hemionitis, Notholaena, Paraceterach, Pellae, Pleurosorus, Quercifilix)

Propagation:
From spores and offset plantlets.

Breeder buds (bulbils) grow on the leaves where the leaf emerges from the stalk. These develop into tiny plantlets.

Suitable for

Terrrarium.
Conservatory and Heated Greenhouse.
Indoor Decoration.
Shade-Tolerant in pot outdoors during summer in UK.
Basic or Limestone Soils.

Grow in a 12cm (5 inch) pot with open compost with reasonably good drainage and out of direct sunlight.

Bright to semi- shady, no sunlight. The same indoor temperature all year round. Not below 16° C (61° F) during the winter. Keep evenly moist. In winter water less when temperatures are low. Sensitive to water-logging. Give low doses of fertilizer every four weeks from early spring to early autumn. Make sure ventilation is good. Repot in spring if necessary.

Not frost hardy, height to 50cm. Suitable as a terrarium, conservatory or house plant. Very eye catching and attractive evergreen fern. Requires a good open compost with reasonably good drainage.

Suitable for a sheltered, shady position outdoors during summer, and a shady position indoors. Particularly suitable for a terrarium.

Grows on rocks.

This a tough fern which resents coddling and prefers warm, airy, airy conditions in bright light. Drainage must be excellent and the addition of lime may be beneficial.

Doryopteris pedata - Botanischer Garten Leipzig. Date: 26 March 2010. By Tubifex - Own work, copyleft: Multi-license with GFDL and Creative Commons CC-BY-SA-3.0 and older versions (2.5, 2.0 and 1.0) via Wikimedia Commons.

Doryopteris pedata - Botanischer Garten Leipzig. Date: 26 March 2010. By Tubifex - Own work, copyleft: Multi-license with GFDL and Creative Commons CC-BY-SA-3.0 and older versions (2.5, 2.0 and 1.0) via Wikimedia Commons.

Drynaria quercifolia

Tropical - Temperate

Bright

hardy

Dryopteris affinis

Temperate - Subtropical

Dull-Bright

hardy

Dryopteris affinis
filix-mas

Temperate - Subtropical

Dull-Bright

hardy

Goniophlebum persicifolium

Tropical - Subtropical

Bright

adaptable

Goniophlebum persicifolium subauriculatum

Tropical - Temperate

Bright

hardy

Goniophlebum persicifolium verrucosum

Tropical - Subtropical

Bright

difficult

Humata griffithiana (Davallia griffithiana, Davallia henryana ;
D. platylepis ;
D. tyermanii ; Humata griffithiana var. tyermanii ;
H. henryana ;
H. platylepis ;
H. tyermanii ; Leucostegia griffithiana )

Bear's Foot Fern, White Rabbit Foot Fern

USDA Zones 8a-10b

Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Bhutan, India (Assam, Manipur), Japan (Okinawa), Laos, Myanmar (Kengtung), Vietnam (Tonkin)].

Semi-tender

Humata henryana,
H. platylepis, and H. tyermanii were treated as separate species in FRPS (6(1): 194-197. 1999), but comparisons of the types of Davallia henryana,
D. platylepis, and H. tyermanii suggest that they all belong to the same species,
H. griffithiana.

Subtropical - Temperate.
Bright.
Hardy, deciduous.

Rhizome 2-6mm in diameter.

Sori separate, borne several or single on a segment, at forking point of veins.

6-8 x 24
(15-20 x 60)

Humata is Latin for of the earth; referring to the creeping habit of the rhizomes.

This native of the Canary Islands is named for the white fuzzy rhizomes produced by the plant that will travel along the ground and curve over the edge of a pot. Fronds are soft and dark green. Great to use in plantings for colour and texture. More cold hardy than other tropicals and can withstand zone 8 winters (mulch recommended). Mature size of 1 to 2 feet (30-60 cms). Excellent and versatile as it can be used in dish gardens, pots, hanging baskets or in landscape settings. Also makes a good houseplant.

Davallia Ferns (Araiostegia, Davallia, Davallodes, Gymno-grammitis, Humata, Leucostegia, Scyphularia, Trogostolon)

Propagation: By division of rhizomes in February or March.

The hairy rootstocks will grow over the edges of the pot on all sides. This fern requires a light spot protected from the sun, moist soil rich in humus, e.g., a mixture of potting compost, sharp sand, peat or leaf-mould and some vermiculite. The soil must not be too moist or the rootstocks will turn brown, temperature by day 21-26 C, at night 10-15C. Feed once a month (half concentration). Repot once every 2/3 years when the soil has been exhausted.

Suitable for

House Fern or Hanging Basket in Conservatory within UK. Outdoor Container. Bring inside during winter to keep it dry.
Slow-growing.
Woodland.
Grows on Rock (epilithic) and
on tree trunks (epiphyte) in Woodland, in
Coastal Districts and is Shade-Tolerant within native habitats.
 

Stove and greenhouse evergreen Ferns, formerly included in the genus Davallia.
Culture of Stove Species: Compost, 2 parts loam, 1 part leaf-mould, peat, pounded charcoal and sand. Pot, February, March or April. Position, pots or hanging baskets in light part of plant stove. Water moderately October to February, freely afterwards. Temperature, September to March 55-60F (13-15C), March to September 65-75F (18-24C).
 

Stove Evergreen Fern.
 

Plants are easily grown and are suitable for baskets or pots.

A small to medium fern with medium- to long-creeping rhizomes. Grows well under medium light in drained, moist-dry potting mix or uncut moss. It is slow growing.

Found in wet forests, climbing on tree trunks or rocks in Macau.

Wet forests, climbing on tree trunks or rocks; near sea level to 2200 m in China.

Needs to be dry in winter.
Grows in Bright Shade to Full Shade.

Humata tyermanii. Plant specimen in the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, Hong Kong. Date: 20 February 2011. By Daderot via Wikimedia Commons. This is also Humata griffithiana.

Humata griffithiana
tyermanii

Subtropical - Temperate

Bright

very attractive

Llavea cordifolia
 

Temperate - Subtropical

Dull-Bright

hardy

Lycopodium phlegmaria
 

Tropical - Subtropical

Bright

difficult

Lycopodium phlegmaria
plegmaroides

Tropical - Subtropical

Bright

difficult

Lycopodium phlegmaria
squarrosum

Tropical - Subtropical

Bright

difficult

Lygodium flexuosum
 

Tropical - Subtropical

Bright

hardy

Lygodium flexuosum
japonicum

Tropical - Subtropical

Bright

hardy

Lygodium flexuosum
microphyllum

Tropical - Temperate

Bright

hardy

Macro-thelypteris polypodioides
 

Tropical - Subtropical

Bright

attractive

Microlepia strigosa and cultivars
 

Tropical - Temperate

Dull-Bright

hardy

Microsorum punctatum and cultivars
 

Tropical - Subtropical

Bright

very hardy

Nephrolepis biserrata

 

Tropical - Subtropical

Dull-Bright

grows large

Nephrolepis biserrata
cordifolia and cultivars
 

Temperate - Tropical

Dull-Bright

very hardy and adaptable

Nephrolepis biserrata
exaltata and cultivars

Tropical - Temperate

Dull-Bright

hardy

Nephrolepis falcata (Nephrolepis gibbosum, Nephrolepis gibbosa, Nephrolepis biserratum var. furcans, Nephrolepis falcata 'Furcans', Nephrolepis biserrata 'Furcans', Nephrolepis falcata, Nephrolepis biserrata var. furcans, Nephrolepis falcata f. furcans)
Weeping Sword Fern, Fishtail Fern, Fishtail Sword Fern, Broad Sword Fern, Macho Fern, Forked Giant Sword Fern, Chinese Name: 叉葉尖羊齒

Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia

Tender

The genus name comes from the Greek nephros, kidney, and lepis, scale, referrring to the kidney-bean-shaped indusia.

Long, strongly-weeping fronds.

Sub-erect fern, with drooping fronds, can grow up to 50 - 90 cm tall and 45 - 60 cm wide.

Foliage - Light green fronds, measuring about 80 - 150 cm long and 5 - 10 cm wide, stipe measuring about 10 - 25 cm long, most pinnae with central division to give 2 short tips and giving a "fish tail appearance".

Reproductive Parts (non-flowering plant): Sori round and arranged submarginal, indusia kidney-shaped with narrow sinus.

40-100 x
(100-250 x )

Boston Ferns (Nephrolepis)

Propagation: By spores sown on surface of pans of sandy peat under bell-glass and placed in temperature 75-85F (24-30C) any time; division of plants, February-April; or by pegging down creeping stems bearing young plants and removing when rooted.

The most common problem in caring for established plants is overwatering combined with poor drainage. These ferns generally tolerate short periods of dryness.

Suitable for

Conservatory and Warm Greenhouse. Hanging Basket.

Stove Evergreen Ferns. Fronds linear, narrow, once divided, plain or crested. First introduced late eighteenth century.
Culture: Compost, equal parts loam, leaf-mould and sand, 2 parts lumpy peat.
Position: in baskets suspended from roof, or in well-drained pots or beds in shady part of stove.
Pot or plant, February or March. Water moderately October to March, freely afterwards.
Temperature: September to March 55-60F (13-16C), March to September 65-75F (18-24C). Nephrolepis cordifolia will thrive in warm greenhouse.

A large fern with erect, stoloniferous rhizomes and erect or pendulous, long fronds. Grows well under medium to high light in moist-dry potting mix or uncut moss.

Plants are excellent for a large basket and grow vigorously, quickly developing into an attractive specimen. They like plenty of light but should be protected from direct sun.

Prefers part shade in moist, well-drained soil in Singapore within gardens and indoors.

Location taken: the New York Botanical Garden. Names: Classification: Plantae > Magnoliophyta > Filicopsida > Filicales > Davalliaceae > Neprolepis > Neprolepis falcata.
Date: 30 March 2006.
Photo by David J. Stang via Wikimedia Commons.

Nephrolepis falcata - Español: Jardín Botánico Faustino Miranda, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, México. Date: 22 January 2015. By Consultaplantas via Wikimedia Commons.

Onoclea
sensibilis

Temperate-Tropical

bright

pale colour

Sensitive Fern, Bead Fern, Sympathy Fern

Native to North America, Canada and North Asia.

Onoclea comes from the Greek onos, vessel, and klein, to close, referring to the pinnules of the fertile leaf, which roll up into bead-like segments to enclose the sori.

A member of the Woodsiaceae Cliff Fern Family.

Zone 4

Available in USA from
Edge of the Woods Native Plant Nursery - Orefield, PA

ArcheWild Native Nurseries - Quakertown, PA

Toadshade Wildflower Farm - Frenchtown, NJ

Prairie Nursery - Westfield, WI

Yellow Springs Farm Native Plant Nursery - Chester Springs , PA

Upright, then arching, lance-shaped or triangular, pinnate, pale green sterile fronds.

The bead-like appearance of the fertile fronds accounts for this genus's common name of bead fern. Some say that the name sensitive fern originates from the frond's sensitivity to frost (they wither after the first subfreezing temperatures).

Winter survival will be enhanced if the dried fronds are left on the plant through the winter.

36-48 x 36-48
(90-120 x 90-120)
 

Miscellaneous Ferns

Hardy deciduous ferns. Fronds, barren ones, broad, once-divided, green; fertile ones, narrow, contracted, once-divided, brown.
Outdoor Culture: Soil, 2 parts good loam, 1 part leaf-mould. Position, semi-shaded, cool, moist border or margins of ponds. Plant, April.
Pot Culture: Compost, 2 parts fibrous loam, 1 part leaf-mould, 1 part sand. Position, well-drained pots in shady cold frame or greenhouse. Pot, March or April. Water copiously April-Sep, moderately Sep-Nov, keep nearly dry Nov-Mar. Repot annually.
Propagation: By spores sown on surface of well-drained pan of sandy peat and leaf-mould covered with square of glass, and kept moderately moist in shady position in cold frame or greenhouse; division of plants, March or April.

Suitable for
Indoor Decoration.

Ferns for Acid Soils.

Evergreen and
Deciduous Ferns.

Ferns suitable for Outdoor Containers

Ferns for Wet Soils

Cold-Hardy Ferns

Shade-Tolerant Fern

The fertile fronds are often used in dried flower arrangements.

Best in wet woodland gardens and moist locations alongside streams and ponds. Can grow in very wet soils as long as there is adequate oxygen. It cannot tolerate sour clay or stagnant water. Also, does not tolerate freezing well, turns black even in light frost.

Shelters salamanders and frogs

Open swamps, thickets, marshes, or low woods, in sunny or shaded locations, often forming thick stands from sea level to elevations of 1500 metres.
A coarse weedy fern commonly found in wet soils where it may form spreading colonies. Plants grow very easily in a pot or moist garden situation. In wet soils, the plants will stand considerable exposure to sun.
Thrives at the edge of water or in a damp shady border.

It grows best in a shaded or partially shaded area in a moist soil. The plant can tolerate dryer conditions in shade, and will tolerate wet soils and so occurs in soggy ground or at the very edge of water in shade or sun. Sensitive ferns spread to form colonies and are often the first species to inhabit disturbed areas. They can become weedy if not sited properly.

Rodgersia and Onoclea. 25 April 2014, 16:50. By peganum from Henfield, England via Wikimedia Commons

日本語: Onoclea sensibilis：コウヤワラビ
2003/06/15
新潟県：Niigata Pref. Japan. By Keisotyo via Wikimedia Commons.

Juvenile Onoclea sensibilis sterile fronds in pots. By Coblands.

If you grow and sell ferns in any country, please tell me so that I can put them on this website and inform others where they can be bought online via mail-order.

If you would provide photos and fern details to be only used by me on this website, they would be gratefully received, since I could assume that the photo was a valid one in regard to its name of fern in its filename to that fern in the photo.

Site design and content copyright ©January 2009.
Page structure amended December 2012.
Gallery structure changed November 2018.
Chris Garnons-Williams.

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Fern Grower's Manual by Barbara Joe Hoshizaki & Robbin C. Moran. Revised and Expanded Edition. Published in 2001 by Timber Press, Inc. Reprinted 2002, 2006. ISBN-13:978-0-88192-495-4.
"This book is mainly written for people seriously interested in growing ferns, knowing their names and what makes them similar or different, and appreciating their diversity. It is not a coffee-table book, nor a chatty type of garden book meant for light reading. Beginning fern amateurs may find more information than they need, but they will also find information useful at their level. Although this book primarily is a reference, it is also for browsing and gleaning bits of information not readily found elsewhere.
The core information in this book will be particularly helpful to plant people who want to grow or identify different ferns and fern allies." from the Preface to the above book.

"Suitable growing regions - these are only meant to be a rough guide as to the regions in which the fern can be expected to be successfully cultivated, i.e. in an outside environment offering the usual fern requirements. It does not take account local factors such as altitude.

Terrestrial or Epiphytic - this entry is included merely as a guide to the potting mix and cultural requirements a species may require. The term aquatic is used for water ferns." from The Encyclopaedia of Ferns An Introduction to Ferns, their Structure, Biology, Economic Importance, Cultivation and Propagation by David L. Jones ISBN 0 88192 054 1.