What was the most popular plant in both the United States and Europe in the mid nineteenth century? The humble fern. People just could not get enough of the many varieties of ferns to be used both inside and outside their houses. Fern motifs were used in wallcoverings, fabrics, wood carvings, and pottery. New Zealand adopted the fern as its national symbol and even today its rugby team displays the fern as its emblem.
Charles Darwin’s friend, Charles Kingsley, used the term pteridomania or “fern mania” to describe this obsession. Why did this mania come about? The development of a sturdy case with a glass lid called the Wardian case allowed plant hunters worldwide to ship new botanical specimens to England and beyond. Ferns became a preferred foliage plant because of their ease of maintenance and their preference for shade. They grew well in the darkest of Victorian houses. Outside they provided a feathery foliage that often contrasted with shrubs and plants with broad leaves.
Ferns are one of the oldest of plants and their ancestors existed as far back as 300 million years ago. There are at least 10,500 known species and ferns grow worldwide from tropical regions to temperate zones and even alpine areas. They reproduce by spores and have long rhizomes instead of deep roots. Ferns do not flower so it is only their foliage that makes a statement in a garden or as a house plant. Ferns do like moisture and will often be found growing naturally in damp areas and bogs. Decayed ferns known as bracken are the source of peat and the source of coal as well.
The tender shoots of emerging Ostrich ferns, known as fiddleheads, are a culinary delicacy, particularly in New England. I would always love it when May arrived and the fiddleheads would be harvested and sold in local supermarkets. Steamed and then served cold in a salad or warm with butter and salt, they were a favorite side dish for me. Ostrich ferns do grow here and are one of the largest garden ferns. With our hot sun, they really need some deep shade, but they can be a prominent garden feature either in the ground or in large containers. “Ferns in urns” are traditional in many Southern gardens.
There are several other ferns that are easy to find in nurseries in our region and will do well in your garden. Ferns like acidic soil and most of our soils tend to be acidic. Since ferns are indigenous to woodland areas with high organic matter, they do love rich composted soil. And ferns will even grow in the most difficult place – under a live oak tree.
Autumn ferns are interesting in a landscape because the new fronds can be orange in color and they can take some sun rather than the usual full shade. The clumps can grow to between 18 and 24 inches tall. These ferns do seem to make it through all but our harshest winters. After our January snow and ice, they were the first ferns in my garden to bounce back with no die back.
Although Kimberley Queen ferns are native to Australia, they are commonly found here. They have stiff upright fronds and work well in containers. They will take some sun especially morning sunlight. While pretty tough, this past winter caused mine to turn black and die. I had to replace them after having had them for three years. I really did not mind since they had stood up well to our summer heat and winter chill during all that time.
Boston ferns or sword ferns are probably one of the most familiar in our landscapes. These bright green ferns grow to about 2-3 feet in height and width. They do best in indirect sunlight or dappled shade. Because of the arching habit of their fronds, they look particularly good in hanging baskets and that is how they are generally sold at garden centers. Warning-– Boston ferns can travel. I have Boston ferns growing in a garden bed where they previous homeowner had them in baskets. They escaped. I don’t mind because they are easy to pull out and control, but once they get established it is worth keeping an eye on them to prevent a hostile take–over.
With some judicious watering and composting with organic material, ferns will give you a lacy understory plant or a house plant with a unique textured foliage. You might become an advocate of fern mania yourself.
