About Ferns — American Fern Society (2024)

FAQs

About Ferns — American Fern Society? ›

While ferns first evolved in the Devonian, they became one of the most dominant groups of plants on the planet during the Carboniferous (299-369 mya). Growing alongside the giant tree lycophytes (e.g., Lepidodendron) in vast swamps, ferns thrived and diversified for several million years.

Some types first appeared on Earth more than 360 million years ago. Ferns commonly grow in tropical rainforests. They also grow in other warm, moist places where there is plenty of shade. Very few species of fern are found in dry, cold places.

It has since become an important symbol in New Zealand. In Japanese culture, ferns are believed to symbolize family and hope for future generations. In other cultures, ferns are known as symbols of eternal youth, love, and growth. In Victorian times, ferns represented humility and sincerity.

Similar to flowering plants, ferns have roots, stems and leaves. However, unlike flowering plants, ferns do not have flowers or seeds; instead, they usually reproduce sexually by tiny spores or sometimes can reproduce vegetatively, as exemplified by the walking fern.

Ferns are extensively used as both aesthetic plants and food sources. Ferns may also be useful in eliminating hazardous heavy metals like arsenic from the soil, according to some research. Some fern species are used to cure ulcers, rheumatism, intestinal infections, and a variety of other problems.

Ferns are perennials, meaning they live for several years, some dying down in winter (deciduous), while others keep their foliage all year (evergreen). In the wild, ferns grow in a range of habitats, from woodland to dry rock crevices or swamps, but most ferns available to gardeners tend to like shade.

Maidenhair Fern/all ferns

Reason to hate: Ferns like to be watered, a lot (daily even) so people often let them dry out too much. They're also delicate and require high humidity, so constantly need to be misted. Making them ideal for a bathroom with filtered light.

Typically ferns prefer their soil moist, just make sure you let any excess water drain away. Ferns will be happy in most light conditions. Mist your fern a few times a week - they really love humidity.

Royal Fern used for intestinal worms. Rock Cap used for stomachaches and cholera. Christmas Fern used for stomachache, bowel problems, toothache, cramps, and diarrhea. Bracken Fern used for diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, infections, diarrhea, weakness, stomach cramps, and headaches.

: Ferns are abundant, require a lot of moisture to grow, and are said to correspond with long, stable, and prosperous relationships. It is also related to prosperity, so it will enhance the energy that corresponds to the bagua where it is located.

Are ferns good or bad? ›

Ferns provide a variety of contributions to the ecosystems in which they exist. For example, they provide shelter, shade, erosion protection, chemical sequestration, and microhabitats that serve other species.

There are numerous animal species that eat ferns. In the wild, this includes deer, rabbits, small rodents and insects such as crickets, beetles, grasshoppers and aphids.

Insects and small invertebrates are often attracted to the moisture-rich environment around ferns, creating a buffet for birds.

Conway, Conway says that ferns are described as sacred trees to the druids. In Celtic Shamanism, “uncurled fronds of male fern were gathered at Midsummer, dried and carried for good luck. All ferns are powerful protective plants and faeries are especially attracted to them.”

Ferns May Absorb Arsenic To Repel Bugs.

Male fern is used to treat nosebleeds, heavy menstrual bleeding, wounds, and tumors. It is also used to expel worms, typically tapeworms, from the intestines. Some veterinarians use male fern to treat worms in animals.

Tree fern fronds are often very large, some of the largest leaf structures in the Plant Kingdom: they can reach 9 to 13 feet (2.7 to 4 meters) in length in some. The fronds are covered in scales and hairs; Cyathea fronds tend to be more scaly, and there are even spines at the base of the fronds in some types.

Ferns first appear in the fossil record about 360 million years ago in the late Devonian period, but Polypodiales, the group that makes up 80% of living fern diversity, did not appear and diversify until the Cretaceous, contemporaneous with the rise of flowering plants that came to dominate the world's flora.

While most ferns average between one and three feet tall and wide, some, such as resurrection fern, grow only a few inches tall. Others, like royal and ostrich ferns, can tower to six feet. Most ferns are slow growing and can take several years to reach their mature size.