Most people strut past them carelessly in the woods. But the world of ferns is incredibly exciting! There is not just one fern, but numerous different types and varieties that can be interesting for garden and pot culture.

All fern species are poisonous

More than 12,000 species

Around 12,000 species of ferns are distributed around the world. Most representatives can be found in the tropics. But there are also many species in Europe. There are around 170 pieces.

Characteristics common to all ferns

Whether bracken, male fern, spleen fern, royal fern, stag's tongue fern, oak fern, beech fern, polypody, thorn fern, … all types of ferns belong to the vascular spore plants. They form neither flowers nor fruits. They reproduce using their spores, which are usually found on the underside of their foliage.

Furthermore, the majority of ferns love shady and damp locations. Their natural occurrences include forests, crevices, riparian zones and cracks in walls. Due to the easy-to-fulfill site requirements, many gardeners plant ferns in their green space. Ferns are also popular indoor plants.

Other features common to most ferns are:

  • slightly to highly toxic
  • more or less green foliage
  • Structure: root, stem, leaves (exception: tree ferns)
  • pinnate leaves

Small, medium and large fern species

The small fern species are between 10 and 30 cm high. They are ideal as ground cover, for example under coniferous trees and for greening rock gardens. They include the wall rue, the brown spleen fern, the Tierra del Fuego fern (a 10 cm high rib fern) and the writing fern.

Medium-sized ferns grow between 40 and 80 cm high. They are cuddly along roadsides, under tall shrubs such as trees and in beds. Representatives of this size category are, for example, the ostrich fern and the common male fern with its triple-pinnate fronds. The large fern species rise up to 2 m high. These include the tree fern, highly toxic bracken and royal fern.

Interesting varieties for the garden

Gardeners looking for something special can even find it among the ferns. There are plenty of cultivars that look unusual and cause a stir:

  • 'Ursula in Red': red and silvery-grey shimmering fronds
  • 'Silver Falls': silvery-white fronds with red midrib
  • 'Purpurascens': copper-red fronds
  • 'Gracilis': dwarf variety with great autumn colours
  • 'Plumosum Densum': bronze-green, slightly curled fronds
  • 'Brilliance': copper-orange fronds

The most popular types of indoor ferns

All room ferns need a shady location and care. Here is a selection:

  • sword fern: simply pinnate
  • Nest fern: 100 cm high
  • Antler fern: up to 1 m long fronds
  • Maidenhair fern: 50 to 100 cm high, graceful fronds
  • Goldspotted fern: 60 cm long fronds, heavily pinnate
  • Rib fern: 100 cm long fronds with wavy feathers
  • Shield fern: triangular fronds, up to 25 cm long

tips and tricks

The rabbit foot fern is drought tolerant. He gets along well with a dry heating air in the living room.

Category:

Vegetable garden