Varieties of Native Ferns

Christmas Fern

Christmas Ferns- Polystichum Acrostichoides  Christmas ferns are a beautiful addition to shaded or woodland garden spaces, allowing you to decorate every inch of your plot with something green. Growing between 1.5 and 2 feet tall, these small plants are the ultimate addition to an idyllic landscaping project, providing a bright cover for bare soil in awkward locations. Christmas Ferns are low-maintenance They grow in moist but well-drained soils (because of their forest-dwelling ancestry). This feature of their biology makes them ideal for tough spots where other plants won't thrive, including many hardy species. Ferns grow well even with minimal maintenance (reducing how much time you have to spend working on them) and thrive in areas with partial or indirect sunlight, like the back of a shed or next to retaining walls. Polystichum acrostichoides Plant Aesthetics They grow from their rhizomes, small dense tuber-type organs that provide the energy for the plant to form. Spores spread across a given area to provide more coverage over time. Since they are evergreen, they are a welcome addition to your garden by other species, including birds and mammals looking for shade.  This ability to remain vibrant year-round is why they have a festive name; it comes from their ability to survive low light conditions and cold weather that dominate the winter months. Most people place these plants in shady corners and damp areas. However, they are also handy for woodland gardens or forested parts you want to develop and make more visually appealing. Reasons to Use This Fern in Landscaping A hardy plant that grows in challenging conditions, including the cold, dark winter months Maintains its green color throughout the year, maintaining the garden's vibrancy Suitable for use on bare soil or in woodland areas Grows to between 1.5 and 2 feet tall (or slightly more under ideal conditions Requires cool, moist, well-maintained soil They are a beautiful addition to shaded or woodland garden spaces, allowing you to decorate every inch of your plot with something green. Growing between 1.5 and 2 feet tall, these small plants are the ultimate addition to an idyllic landscaping project, providing a bright cover for bare soil in awkward locations. Growth and Habitat These ferns grow in moist but well-drained soils (because of their forest-dwelling ancestry). This feature of their biology makes them ideal for tough spots where other plants won't thrive, including many hardy species. Ferns grow well even with minimal maintenance (reducing how much time you have to spend working on them) and thrive in areas with partial or indirect sunlight, like the back of a shed or next to retaining walls. General Aesthetics of These Native Ferns Ferns grow from their rhizomes, small dense tuber-type organs that provide the energy for the plant to form. Spores spread across a given area to provide more coverage over time. These evergreen plants are a welcome addition to your garden by other species, including birds and mammals looking for shade. This ability to remain vibrant year-round is why they have a festive name; it comes from their ability to survive low light conditions and cold weather that dominate the winter months. Most people plant in shady corners and damp areas. However, they are also handy for woodland gardens or forested parts you want to develop and make more visually appealing. Discover shade perennials, a leading landscaping plant for year-round greenery and gardeners interested in low-maintenance options. Hardy, Pest and Disease Resistant Christmas Fern is a hardy plant that grows in challenging conditions, including the cold, dark winter months. Maintains its green color throughout the year, maintaining the garden's vibrancy. Suitable for use on bare soil or in woodland areas. Grows to between 1.5 and 2 feet tall (or slightly more under ideal conditions Requires cool, moist, well-maintained soil

Fiddlehead Fern

Fiddlehead Fern - Matteuccia Struthiopteris Fiddlehead ferns are tightly coiled shoots resembling the scroll of a violin and are often used as a culinary delicacy. Their young, coiled fronds, such as the Ostrich type (Matteuccia struthiopteris), offer several benefits when landscaping projects. These unique and visually appealing plants have been admired for their charming appearance and practical uses in outdoor spaces. Fiddlehead Fern is native to North America, northern Asia, and Europe. In North America, they are most commonly found in Eastern Canada, southern Alaska, and from Maine to Illinois. Matteuccia Struthiopteris gets its name from the crowns it develops in the spring. These crowns or fonds tend to resemble the heads of violins or feathers. The Looks Of The Fiddlehead Fern  It is famous for its vase shape and tall curled fonds. On average, gardeners can expect them to grow between three and four feet tall and one foot wide. However, once well established, they can grow up to six feet tall and have a width of up to eight feet. They are found naturally in wooded areas that have rivers or streams. It is considered a deciduous perennial that grows upright. They don't develop flowers. Instead, the leaves are bright to medium green. The plant grows in the spring, and it can reach heights of one and a half feet tall. Where to Plant Fiddlehead Fern in Your Garden They grow well in areas that lack full sun. Gardeners can enjoy planting them in shade gardens, along walls, and around trees and tall shrubs. When they develop their spore-bearing fronds in the summer, gardeners can dry them and use them in flower bouquets or arrangements in vases. They Can Grow Several Inches A Day It covers frogs and birds, especially robins, wrens, and wood thrushes, which tend to forage in them. These may also attract turtles, butterflies, and bees. Companion Plants For Them It grows well next to green ash, Virginia bluebells, wild ginger, swamp buttercup, common elderberry, golden Alexander, and wild blue phlox. It can also be planted under or near the American elm and silver maple tree. It makes beautiful additions to shade gardens and helps fill empty spaces under trees and around shrubs. It also has water features in any area that resemble its natural habitats. Do they like sun or shade They require partial to fully shaded areas, a condition that makes them suitable for forested or shaded garden beds.  What are the characteristics of them These are characterized by coiled fronds that bear some resemblance to scrolls of a musical instrument referred to as fiddle. It has bright green shoots that expand when growing.  How long does it take to grow They gradually develop within a week to two from shoots to fronds. Growth is very fast when the climate is wet and warm, and this usually happens during early spring.  What season do they grow They mainly thrive during the early months of spring. This is when their coiled fronds break through the ground and are harvested before they uncoil fully.  How did it get its name The Fiddlehead fern gets its name from its appearance, as the young frond looks like the peg that is wound with a violin. Due to their unique shape and spirals with which they grow, they have been recognized by the name.

Cinnamon Fern

Cinnamon Fern - Osmundastrum Cinnamomeum The Cinnamon Fern is a large deciduous plant characterized by its distinctive, brown-colored fertile fronds standing upright in the center. It is captivating and versatile and has numerous landscaping benefits. This plant, native to eastern North America, has become famous for gardeners and landscapers due to its aesthetic appeal, adaptability, and environmental contributions. It grows to a height of 6 feet and spreads about 4 feet on its black stalks. The unfurled pinnae are Kelly green on top, while the fronds in the center of the plant, which give it its name, are dark brown and resemble sticks of cinnamon because they grow straight up. Early in the spring, the central fronds that turn brown later start life as silver-colored fiddleheads. They're covered in fur, too, charmingly "shaking off the cold of winter." The broad fronds on the stalks form a cute rosette around the central stalks. The silver fiddleheads match well with Fescue or Brunner. Those fiddleheads appear early in the year when the top of the plant is clumped together in a cute bundle. As the Cinnamon Fern Opens When the fiddleheads are ready to open, their silver hair turns brown and clings to the base of the pinnae as they expand to their full glory. The large, broad pinnae on 3-foot fronds is the sterile variety. In the center of the plant, the brown-colored fronds with much smaller pinnae are the fertile fronds. The plant's attractiveness comes from the contrast between the two frond types. Secondarily, the contrast between the expanded fronds and any nearby silver flowers they used to match is equally striking. When it comes to the sterile fronds, they can hold almost two dozen pinnae that taper gently in size from large to small, creating a shape that nearly resembles a palm frond made up of pinnae. The Sporangia Of The Cinnamon Fern This plant doesn't have sori. Instead, it has sporangia that surround the stalk of the fertile frond. These turn brown as they open and give the plant its name. Up close, they're made up of tiny dots that wrap around the stalk in delicate, beautiful shapes. From the time the plants peek through until the fiddleheads unfurl, it is about a week during the spring. During this time, you can see the shape of the pinnae and fronds develop and become full members of the garden for that year. It makes an attractive, striking, and attention-grabbing entry in any garden, and because they're perennial, they'll be back every year to be a lovely garden anchor.  They grow best in damp conditions, particularly in woodlands or along water courses. They do well in soil that is rich in nutrients and which has good drainage.  They are moderately fast growers and will reach their full size in the first to the second year of growth. If the growing conditions are conducive, then they can grow up to 4 feet and as broad as 4 feet.  Indeed, it is split by producing both spores and through forming a system of subterranean stems called rhizomes.  They like soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH of between 5.5 and 7.0. The ferns may require other amendments placed into the soil, such as adding organic matter like a bag of leaf compost.  Cinnamon ferns are native to moist habitats, and the soil should be kept moist at all times, more so during the hot season. They prefer consistent watering, but if they are overwatered, they can experience root rot that can be deadly to the plant.