Ferns for Green
by
Carmen Cosentino

Ferns have become very popular again. Little wonder when you stop to realize the
variation in color and in form and the broad growing conditions that they tolerate. Truly
a year round plant, there are many varieties that thrive indoors and many more out door
types that not only tolerate, but perform very well through the harsh winters here in
Auburn, New York.
Let’s look indoors first. Not as popular as some others, the Bird’s Nest Fern, Asplenium
nidus, with its pale green fronds can stand as tall as three feet. It makes for a beautiful
floor plant in the home. It does well in low light situations and is not bothered by the low
humidity so prevalent in most of today’s homes during the winter months.
Can there be a more popular plant in America today than the Boston fern, Nephrolepis
exaltata bostoniensis. It has held on to that distinction for more than a century, first
having been seen in the 1890’s. With fronds arching more than 3 feet, a well rounded
plant placed on a pedestal in the living room, and given plenty of winter light and filtered
light during the summertime, it is a true conversation piece.
Then there is the button fern, Pellaea rotundifolia with it’s little round, dark green leaves.
It doesn’t even look like a fern.
And, of course, if you have ever seen a really nice staghorn fern, you will want one.
While they tolerate winter conditions in our homes, their real value shows when you
move them out into the patio or to poolside during the summer months. ETC
Generally speaking, ferns are very easy to be successful with. To give them high
humidity, set each on a tray filled with gravel and maintain the level of water in that tray
right to the top of the gravel. Believe it or not, they generally thrive in the bathroom
because of the humidity in that room.
Ferns have a large leaf surface, so they take a lot of water. The warmer the room, the
more they will drink. The best way to water is to take them to the sink and add water
until very heavy, let drain and take back to their location. (Not so easy with a 3 foot, 20
pound Boston fern.) Do not let the pot sit in water for very long because the tiny, water
absorbing rootlets might be damaged.
While they do well in our warm homes, be careful not to place them in a dark corner or
next to a radiator or under an air handling vent. Those situations simply draw the water
out of the plant faster than the roots can absorb it. And, the worst place of all? Since
Ferns tend to look good hanging, we tend to place them too close to the ceiling, not
realizing that not only is the temperature up there can be 10 to 15 degrees higher than at
waist level, but the light levels there are too low.
This is a very diverse group of plants and you are sure to find one or two kinds that will
thrive in your home or office.
Picture of Boston Fern is from my files.