Ferns are among the few houseplants that don’t flower at all. In fact, the vast majority of houseplants do flower, but only very discreetly, so they’re grown mainly for their foliage. Ferns, on the other hand, do not flower at all, but have a certain charm all their own.
A Fascinating Origin
Ferns are among the oldest plants on the planet. They evolved at a time when there were no insect pollinators. So they didn’t need to make beautiful flowers to attract them. By the Carboniferous period, ferns, along with other related plants such as horsetails, dominated the planet. Many had taken on the form of large trees, and vast forests of tree ferns developed. Although these forests have disappeared, not all tree ferns have: they can still be found today in tropical countries.
Some say that ferns are prehistoric plants, having existed for over 360 million years. However, this is not to say that ferns have stopped evolving. On the contrary, ferns continue to evolve and currently occupy numerous ecological niches. From the Arctic to the Equator, from mountaintops to seashores, from tree branches to underwater, there are ferns. Even in deserts, ferns can be found… in the shade. Most ferns, however, prefer moist soil. And in the fields and forests of Canada, there are ferns too, including the famous ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris), which produces the “fiddleheads” we love so much in spring.
Indoor Ferns
Our indoor ferns are of tropical or subtropical origin, so are well acclimatized to the conditions in our homes. With their need for moderate lighting (most ferns require only indirect sunlight), many people find them particularly easy to grow. Take care to keep their potting soil constantly moist but not soggy, and to provide them with high humidity, which can be achieved by using a humidifier.
Boston Fern
Among the ferns you’re likely to find in garden centers is the most popular of all: the Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata). This fern, native to tropical regions of the world, has given rise to hundreds of mutations with variously cut and fringed fronds of varying sizes and green or yellow-green colors. Most have long, arching fronds, but some are so cut that they resemble moss.
Rabbit’s Foot Fern
Rabbit’s foot ferns (Davallia sp.) are distinguished by their swollen, hairy rhizomes that cover the ground and even the pot, reminiscent of the paws of a small animal. Their fronds are generally small, dark green and deeply indented, forming a triangle. They are often grown in hanging baskets.
Bird’s Nest Fern
The bird’s nest fern (Asplenium nidus) is very different from other ferns. Instead of cut fronds, its fronds are whole, tongue-shaped. The plant forms a green cup with brown hairs in the center, from which the new egg-shaped, soft-green fronds emerge, hence the common name “bird’s nest”.
Foxtail Fern
There are even impostors: the foxtail fern (Asparagus densiflorus) produces long, hanging stems with flattened needles and is often mistaken for a fern, but as its name suggests, the plant is more closely related to garden asparagus than to ferns.
Larry Hodgson published thousands of articles and 65 books over the course of his career, in both French and English. His son, Mathieu, has made it his mission to make his father’s writings accessible to the public. This text was originally published in Le Soleil on April 23, 2006.
Great article, as usual. PLEASE! How can I get rid of horsetail weeds in my pachysandra bed?? Thank you.