Ferns

Ferns are among one of the oldest plants, dating back to hundreds of millions of years ago. However, most of the earliest ferns that date back to the Devonian period, such as the Rhacophytales, Pseudosporochnales, and Tempskya groups, have since gone extinct.

It’s important to know that many of the ferns that you see available to you today have evolved relatively recently. Most of them evolved in only the last 70 million years, which is crazy to think about now that you know how long they’ve been around. Today, ferns are the second-most diverse group of vascular plants on earth.

Ferns are diverse and different from any other plants in terms of their habitat, form, and reproductive methods. Ferns can be filmy plants that reach only about 0.39-0.47 inches tall to huge fern trees sizing at about 30 to 80 feet tall. Ferns also differ in their looks. Some plants you’ll find are more twining and vine-like, whereas others can float on surface ponds and flourish.

Ferns tend to grow successfully in tropical climates. As you begin to observe higher latitudes, you’ll find that the number of ferns diminishing. That’s because higher latitudes have decreasing supplies of moisture. It’s unlikely that you will discover ferns growing in dry and cool places.

Some ferns, such as the lady fern and maidenhair fern, are considered sun-tolerant and can grow perfectly fine when placed in direct sunlight. However, most varieties of ferns don’t need direct sunlight, and they can grow in deep shade. Most ferns grow best when they are exposed to about 60 to 70 percent of shade.

You’ll notice your fern growing its best when they are in warm temperatures, preferably somewhere between 73 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Although ferns can survive in colder temperatures, this is usually a breeding ground for harmful fungi that can ruin your plant. Your fern is typically successful in growing in temperatures starting at 63 degrees.

It can be easy to overwater your fern. Most ferns need about a day or two to dry out between waterings. Unless they are a Boston fern, footed fern, or a staghorn fern, you shouldn’t have to water your plant daily. A good sign to tell if you are overwatering your plant is to begin to notice black discoloration located at the visible tips of the fern roots. When you start to notice discoloration, hold off on watering until they return to their natural color.

Ferns are unique because they do not flower to propagate. As mentioned, they reproduce through spores. Therefore, their life cycle is much different from any other plants you may have researched. Most plants grow from a seed into their mature adult form. However, ferns must grow through an intermediate stage before they can fully mature into an adult fern.

Let’s take a look at the two distinct stages in the life cycle of a fern:

With over 10,000 fern species, it shouldn’t be a surprise that there are interesting facts about Ferns. Although we wish that we could go through all 10,000 + plants let’s take a look at some interesting facts about the ferns you can find at Cold Stream Farm: