Sunday, 29 June 2025

by Ros Laundon 

Thirteen of us gathered at the Botanic Gardens Fern House for Helen’s Introductory Fern talk.  She took us through basic fern biology, part names, reproduction and occurrence, particularly the local occurrence of native ferns.  Helen touched on fern reproduction for garden purposes, something covered further in the walk through the Fern house.  

Growing ferns at home was covered referencing in-ground and potted plants, matching plants according to the original plant habitat and growth habit.  So, a fern that grows on a dry-ish hill will not thrive with wet feet, etc. Variation of your high quality potting mix is also a matter of matching the habitat. Choose how much coconut peat, sand, charcoal, perlite, and vermiculite to add to your mix and fertilise lightly.  

On the walk through the fern house Helen pointed out fern types, features and individuals that she had mentioned in the talk. Needless to say, ferns range from tiny, Pyrrosia rupestris, to huge, Angiopteris evecta, with features such as fertile and non-fertile parts, and leaf shapes that are absent, Psilotum nudum, simple, Microsorum punctatum, or divided, Rumohra adiantiformis.  

We learned to identify ferns from the location of spores, the shapes of spore occurrence patterns and the feel of the keel on the underside of Crow’s Nest Ferns.  Tree ferns have distinguishing hairy parts, hairs on Cyathea cooperi, or scales (more like minute ribbons) on  Dicksonia antarctica.

Helen pointed out by example that some ferns are invasive by nature so take care where you plant them in the garden.  She also gave examples of her more relaxed care regime showing that some ferns are tough plants that cope with variation in watering, a great encouragement to new fern growers.

It was a delightful morning of information and immersion in the fern world.  Thank you, Helen, for the inspiration to go forth and multiply your fern collection.