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Similar to Fabulous ferns 2011 (20)
Fabulous ferns 2011
- 1. Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants
Project SOUND – 2011 (our 7th year)
© Project SOUND
- 2. Fabulous Ferns
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
February 5 & 8, 2011
© Project SOUND
- 3. What do you picture when you think of ferns?
© Project SOUND
- 5. Ferns go back a long ways…> 360 MYA
http://taggart.glg.msu.edu/isb200/cswamp.jpg
Ferns had their heyday in the Carboniferous Period (360-
300 MYA) - 100 MY before the dinosaurs
http://www.kgg.org.uk/alethopteris4.jpg © Project SOUND
- 6. The move from water to land was difficult – even
though conditions were a lot more tropical
(humid/watery) back then
Need:
a rigid structural system
for support
anchors to the ground
(plants) or ways to move
around
a vascular system to
transport water and
nutrients
All this takes a long time and
the ability to change – a lot
© Project SOUND
http://cmex.ihmc.us/VikingCD/Puzzle/Advance2.GIF
- 7. Ferns were among the first plants with a
vascular system & lignin support system
http://media.photobucket.com/image/plant%20evolution%20tree/kofh/Genesis/plantkingdom.jpg © Project SOUND
- 8. They also evolved a more sophisticated
means of reproduction – alteration of
generations (e.g. ‘sex’)
© Project SOUND
- 9. All higher organisms
(including ferns & humans)
have alternation of
generations
In sexual reproduction, only ½ of a
parent’s chromosomes are passed
on to the egg/sperm/spore (they
are the (n) generation)
When fertilization occurs the new
embryo (and the resulting adult)
have the full complement of
chromosomes (2n generation)
Sexual reproduction allows a
species to recombine genetic
traits
© Project SOUND
- 10. So ferns – like all other higher
plants – do have sex
It’s just not quite as efficient - and it requires water
© Project SOUND
- 11. Ferns now make up only a fraction of the
living plants – in part due to less efficient sex
http://crescentok.com/staff/jaskew/ISR/botzo/plants.gif
© Project SOUND
- 12. What are the ferns? (summary)
Ferns are vascular plants differing from
mosses by having true leaves.
They differ from seed plants
(gymnosperms and angiosperms) in their
mode of reproduction—lacking flowers
and seeds.
Like all other vascular plants, they have
a life cycle referred to as alternation of
generations, characterized by a diploid
sporophytic and a haploid gametophytic
phase.
Unlike the gymnosperms and
angiosperms, the ferns' gametophyte is
a free-living organism.
http://www.perspective.com/nature/plantae/ferns.html © Project SOUND
- 13. The American Fern Society
Over 100 years old – established in 1892
> 900 members worldwide (one of the largest
international fern clubs in the world.
Objective: fostering interest in ferns and fern allies.
Wide range of publications & activities – good way to
learn more about wild ferns from experts and meet
other people with a similar passion for ferns.
Web site - http://www.amerfernsoc.org/ is
designed to expand on this exchange of information
with amateurs and professionals around the world.
© Project SOUND
- 14. Taxonomy of the Ferns – in a state of change
http://www.amerfernsoc.org/
© Project SOUND
- 15. The living fern-allies can be divided into four
classes: Psilotopsida:
?Only living member Psilotum (whisk ferns)
Probably the most primitive vascular plant
still in existence - may be directly related
to the first vascular plants on land.
Lycopodiopsida:
Represented by the Selaginellia
(Spikemosses), Lycopodium (clubmosses),
and the Isoetes (Quillworts).
Equisetopsida:
Represented today by only one genus,
Equisetum (Horsetails).
© Project SOUND
- 16. The living fern-allies can be divided into
four classes:
Polypodiopsida (Pteropsida)
The true ferns
By far the most numerous of
all of the fern-allies.
Nine sub-classes (Families),
about 250-300 genera and
over 12,000 different species
alive today.
© Project SOUND
- 17. Selected Families/Genera used in gardens
Family Adiantaceae
Genus Adiantum (Maidenhair Ferns)
Genus Cheilanthes (Lipferns)
Family Blechnaceae
Genus Woodwardia (Chain-ferns)
Family Dennstaedtiaceae
Genus Dennstaedtia (Hay-scented fern)
Genus Pteridium (Bracken)
Family Dryopteridaceae
Genus Cystopteris (Fragile Fern)
Genus Dryopteris (Wood Ferns)
Genus Matteuccia (Ostrich Fern)
Genus Onoclea (Sensitive Fern)
Genus Polystichum (Sword Ferns)
Genus Woodsia (Woodsias)
Family Polypodiaceae
Genus Polypodium (Polypodies)
Family Thelypteridaceae
Genus Thelypteris (Beech Fern)
© Project SOUND
- 18. Selected Families/Genera used in gardens
Family Dryopteridaceae – Woodfern Family
Genus Cystopteris (Fragile Fern)
Genus Dryopteris (Wood Ferns)
Genus Matteuccia (Ostrich Fern)
Genus Onoclea (Sensitive Fern)
Genus Polystichum (Sword Ferns)
Genus Woodsia (Woodsias)
© Project SOUND
- 19. The Sword Ferns - genus Polystichum
http://hardyfernlibrary.com/ferns/listSpecies.cfm?Auto=60
Western Sword Fern
135-160 species worldwide – mostly temperate regions
Usually live in moist places
Have typical fern structure/anatomy
© Project SOUND
- 20. Parts of a typical fern
http://www.davidlnelson.md/Cazadero/Ferns.htm
Leaf = frond
Midrib of leaf = rachis
Petiole = stalk, stipe
Leaflets = pinna
Stem/stalk (rootstalk) = rhizome (like rhizome of higher plants)
Roots = roots
© Project SOUND
- 21. * Western Sword Fern – Polystichum munitum
http://www.nwplants.com/business/catalog/pol_mun.html
© Project SOUND
- 22. * Western Sword Fern – Polystichum munitum
Western N. America, primarily coastal
states, from AK to Baja
In CA, almost always below 2500 ft.
Favored habitat: the understory of moist
coniferous forests at low elevations –
locally, San Gabriel mtns.
It grows best in a well-drained acidic soil
of rich humus and small stones.
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200004619
http://www.backyardnature.net/n/x/sword-fn.htm
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystichum_munitum
- 23. Fern pinna may be divided
into pinnules or lobes
1 times pinnate – simple
[Sword Fern]
2 times pinnate – more
complex [Wood Fern]
3 or 4 times pinnate –
complex (look lacy)
[Maidenhair & Lipfern]
© Project SOUND
http://bss.sfsu.edu/holzman/courses/Fall00Projects/swordfern.html
- 24. Western Sword Fern – corresponds to
most people’s notion of a fern
Size:
3-6 ft tall
spreading to 3-6 ft wide
Growth form:
Upright growth habit
Height depends on light – taller in
dense shade
Evergreen leaves in clumps of 100
or so – moderate spread rate
Long-lived
Foliage:
Medium to dark green
Single pinnate ( 1 times pinnate)
with alternating pinna
Fronds unroll, forming fiddleheads
© 2008 Matt Below © Project SOUND
- 25. A sorus (pl. sori) - a cluster of sporangia
The fern sorus (structures producing/containing spores)
Form yellow/brownish mass on the edge or
underside of a fertile frond.
In some species, sori are protected by a
scale or film of tissue called the indusium,
which forms an umbrella-like cover.
As the sporongia mature, the indusium
shrivels. The sporangia then burst and
release the spores.
The shape, arrangement, and location of
the sori are often valuable clues in the
identification of fern taxa.
May be circular or linear.
Arranged in rows or randomly
Location may be marginal or set away from
the margin on the frond lamina.
© Project SOUND
http://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/pcmb/osu_pcmb/pcmb_lab_resources/images/pcmb300/cfern2/reproduction3.jpg
- 26. Reproduction by spores
Ex: Sword Ferns
Sword fern sori occur on the undersides
of normal-sized pinnae more generally
distributed along the frond.
Each round sorus is composed of dozens
http://www.backyardnature.net/n/x/sword-fn.htm of spherical items. Those are not spores,
but rather stalked, baglike sporangia filled
with several spores.
When the sporangia are ripe they burst,
release the spores, and the wind carries
the spores to new locations
If environmental conditions are just right,
they germinate to form fern prothalli, from
which eventually new ferns will emerge.
© 2008 Keir Morse © Project SOUND
http://www.answers.com/topic/dudleya
- 27. Sword Ferns are Soils:
Texture: well-drained loams are
forest floor plants best
pH: acidic (4.0 – 7.0)
Likes lots of humus
Light:
Part shade to quite dark full
shade
Water:
Winter: plenty
Summer: moist soils – Zone 3
Fertilizer:
½ strength fertilizer fine
Organic mulch – leaf litter is
optimal
Other: difficult in very hot
gardens
© 2008 Matt Below
© Project SOUND
- 28. Sword Ferns – woodsy
Brightens very shady places
Under dense evergreens (pines, etc)
At back or shaded beds – nice
background color
On wet, mossy banks
Gerald and Buff Corsi © California Academy of Sciences
http://www.rainyside.com/features/plant_gallery/nativeplants/Polystichum_munitum.html
© Project SOUND
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/polystichum-munitum
- 29. Sword Ferns -
Victorian
In a decorative pot
In a wall or fern grotto
In a rocky fernery
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/PNQkvKYUhfgwxJ9NW0YE_A
http://www.paghat.com/swordfern.html
© Project SOUND
- 30. Family Dryopteridaceae (Woodfern Family)
Genus Dryopteris (Wood Ferns)
Wood ferns, male ferns, and buckler
ferns
~250 species; temperate Northern
Hemisphere (highest species
diversity in eastern Asia).
Hybridization common within this
group; many species formed by
hybridization.
J. William Thompson Dryopteris species are used as food
plants by the larvae of some
Lepidoptera species.
© Project SOUND
- 31. Coastal Wood Fern – Dryopteris arguta
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND
- 32. Coastal Wood Fern – Dryopteris arguta
Most commonly near coast & in coastal
ravines from British Columbia to central
CA – tho’ south to Baja, Sierra foothills
Locally on Catalina & San Clemente Isl,
Santa Monica & San Gabriel Mtns.
N. slopes/shady creeks: oak woodland,
chaparral, coastal sage scrub up to 5000’
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233500589
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/dryopteris-arguta
© Project SOUND
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?19,27,28
- 33. Coastal Wood Fern is adaptable
Coastal forests, WA state In the Santa Monica Mtns
© Ed Alverson
© 2004 Brent Miller
© Project SOUND
http://www.researchlearningcenter.org/bloom/species/Dryopteris_arguta.htm
- 34. Coastal Wood Fern: a medium-size fern
Size:
2-3 ft tall (largest in rainforests)
2-3 ft wide
Growth form:
Moderately spreading clump
Fronds usually upright/fairly straight
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/dryopteris-arguta Foliage:
Medium to dark green; prom. scales
http://plants.montara.com/ListPages/FamPages/Dryopterida.html
2 times pinnate - moderately complex
structure
Foliage soft - not stiff
Quite variable – some types appear
ruffled or lacy (leaflets turned at an
angle
Drought-deciduous (S. CA Oak
http://hardyfernlibrary.com/f
erns/listSpecies.cfm?Auto=
Woodlands)
3
© Project SOUND
- 35. Sori are showy
Sporulates: usually late
spring/early summer in S. CA
Sori:
Rounded – look like a bagel
prior to maturity
Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences
Located in 2 parallel rows
midway between midvein
and margin of the segment
Spores:
Vegetative reproduction:
Via rhizomes
Moderate spreading
© 2003 Keir Morse © Project SOUND
http://www.answers.com/topic/dudleya
- 36. Soils:
Sword Ferns: adaptable Texture: most
pH: slightly acidic (4.0-7.0) – under
evergreens/oaks would be fine
Light:
Part-shade to full shade
This is truly a forest under-story
fern; good even under dense
trees
Water:
Winter: like plenty
Summer: quite adaptable
Zone 2-3 or 3 – will stay green
Zone 1-2 or 2 – drought
deciduous
Fertilizer: ½ strength or none
Mark W. Skinner @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Other: likes a good leaf mulch layer
© Project SOUND
- 37. Wood Ferns - lovely
Ferns always look nice in large
containers
Great for shady slopes/banks –
even growing in retaining walls
Give a woodsy or old-fashioned
(Victorian) look to any garden
In food/medicinal garden
© 2003 Michael Charters
http://www.globaltwitcher.com/artspec_information.asp?thingid=88976
© Project SOUND
- 38. Human uses of ferns
As source of fiber
For mats, bedding
For religious/spiritual
purposes
As food: young fronds –
usually cooked (note: some
http://www.globaltwitcher.com/artspec_information.asp?thingid=88976
mutagenic/carcinogenic
compounds
As a source of medicines:
© Project SOUND
- 39. Take your cues from
Mother Nature
North slope, in shade of oaks,
evergreens, Bay, even Toyon
With elderberries, snowberries,
© 2004 Brent Miller yarrow, goldenrods
http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Dryopteris-arguta/
© Project SOUND
- 40. Genus Woodwardia – the Chain Ferns
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233501358
Large ferns of temperate climates
in the family Blechnaceae
© Project SOUND
- 41. Giant Chain Fern – Woodwardia fimbriata
W. Carl Taylor @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND
- 42. Giant Chain Fern – Woodwardia fimbriata
Primarily found in CA Floristic
Province (W. of Sierras) except the
Great central Valley)
Occasional (?relict) populations
elsewhere from WA to Baja
Locally in Santa Monica and San
Gabriel Mtns.
Many plant communities but mostly in
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.as
px?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233501358
redwood, mixed conifer & mixed
conifer-hardwood forests < 5000 ft
Always where moisture is present,
such as stream banks or springs
Introduced into cultivation in
California by Theodore Payne.
© Project SOUND
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?11,14,15
- 43. Remarkable
consistent looking
http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/bloom/species/Woodwardia_fimbriata.htm
Santa Monica Mountains
http://www.theodorepayne.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Woodwardia_fimbriata
© Project SOUND
- 44. The name says it all…Giant Chain Fern
Size:
4-8 ft tall (usually 4-6 ft)
4-5 ft wide
Growth form:
Upright to vase-shaped
clump
Moderate spread rate
Foliage:
Medium to dark green –
evergreen
Petioles brown at base
Twice-pinnate leaves – large
and somewhat coarse-looking
Fronds unfurl as fiddleneck
Rhizomes: stout
© Project SOUND
http://www.coestatepark.com/woodwardia_fimbriata_c
oe.htm
- 45. Sori give the plant its
common name
Sori mature: late spring
summer
Sori:
Elongated
In double ‘chains’ along the
pinna midrib
Visible from both surfaces
of pinna
© J. William Thompson
© Project SOUND
- 46. Woodwardia : well-suited to some gardens
Soils:
Texture: most
pH: acidic (4.0-7.0) – ? amend
Light:
Part-shade to full shade
Good for dappled shade or N-facing
exposures
Water:
Young plants: moist
Winter: supplement in drought
winters
Summer: Zone 3 in part-shade;
tolerates Zone 2 or 2-3 in shade
Chain Ferns like an organic Fertilizer: ½ OK
mulch – like in their forest
homes © Project SOUND
- 47. Giant Chair Fern: a garden favorite
From California Native Plants,
Theodore Payne's 1941 catalog:
"The most useful of the native
ferns, having long graceful
fronds of a vivid shade of light
green, often 4 to 5 feet in length.
Creates a wonderful effect on a
shady bank or under trees, and
very striking when planted
against a wall or building in a
shady spot. Very hardy and
easy to grow. Gallon cans, 50c;
5 gallon cans, $1.50."
© Project SOUND
- 48. As an attractive pot plant
Under pines and other evergreen
trees – evokes the feeling of a
woodland
In other shady places – near
ponds or water features
As a big, dramatic accent plant
In Jurassic Park
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/crypto/msg112238042369.html
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College © Project SOUND
- 49. Victorian ‘Pteridomania’
Pteridomania or Fern-
Fever was a craze for
ferns. Victorian
decorative arts
presented the fern
motif in pottery, glass,
metal, textiles, wood,
printed paper, and
sculpture, with ferns
"appearing on
everything from
christening presents to
gravestones and
memorials."
http://www.georgeglazer.com/prints/nathist/botanical/fern.html
© Project SOUND
- 50. Victorian ‘Pteridomania’ (Fern Mania)
The interest in ferns began in
the late 1830s when the British
countryside attracted increasing
numbers of amateur and
professional botanists (male and
female).
People of many different social
backgrounds sought out the
species and varieties described
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pteridomania
in the fern identification books
to press the fronds in albums or
to collect fern plants to grow in
their gardens or homes.
Some ferns were, unfortunately,
collected out of existence
Wardian Case © Project SOUND
- 52. Caring for the larger
ferns
Location is key to success: pay
particular attention to light
and water requirements
Well-placed ferns are pretty
easy
http://noseeds.blogspot.com/2010/05/woodwardia-fimbriata.html
Cut off oldest (dead or nearly
so) fronds at time new ones
are emerging
No need to cut all fronds back
to the ground in winter – an old
technique that’s better
forgotten
© Project SOUND
- 53. Many people think that all ferns require lots
of water…..
http://www.researchlearningcenter.org/bloom/species/Dryopteris_arguta.htm
© Project SOUND
http://www.globaltwitcher.com/artspec_information.asp?thingid=88976
- 54. Family Adiantaceae (Pteridaceae)
Creeping or erect rhizomes
Mostly terrestrial or epipetric (growing on rock)
Fronds usually compound; linear sori - typically on the margins -
protected by a false indusium formed from the reflexed margin
of the leaf.
Adiantoid ferns;
Adiantum, the maidenhair ferns
Cheilanthoid ferns;
Argyrochosma
Aspidotis the lace ferns
Astrolepis
Cheilanthes, the lip ferns
Notholaena, the cloak ferns
Pellaea, the cliff brakes
Pteridoid ferns;
Pteris, the brakes
© Project SOUND
- 56. Common Maidenhair Fern – Adiantum capillus-veneris
Grows in warmer-winter
places throughout much of
the Americas, Eurasia &
Africa
In CA, many disjoint areas
including Catalina Island
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200003518
?? Native or naturalized
In CA, uncommon (or locally
common). Shaded, rocky or
moist banks, exposed sites
or not
© Project SOUND
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Adiantum+capillus-veneris
- 57. The Maidenhair Ferns ~ 200 species of ferns in the family
Pteridaceae (though some researchers place it
genus Adiantum in its own family, Adiantaceae)
Name comes from Greek, meaning "not
wetting", referring to the fronds' ability to
shed water without becoming wet.
The highest species diversity is in the Andes
in South America. Fairly high diversity also
occurs in eastern Asia, with nearly 40 species
in China.
Distinctive in appearance, with dark, often
black stipes and rachises, and bright green,
often delicately-cut leaf tissue.
The sori are borne submarginally, and are
covered by reflexed flaps of leaf tissue which
resemble indusia.
Generally prefer humus-rich, moist, well-
drained sites. Many species are especially
known for growing on rock walls around
waterfalls and water seepage areas.
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA NRCS © 2001 Larry Blakely
Many species common in horticultural
trade for a long time © Project SOUND
- 58. Common Maidenhair – sweet & delicate
Size:
1-2 ft tall (may be < 1 ft)
1-3 ft wide
Growth form:
Open, mounded habit
Slow-growing – remains clumped
Evergreen or summer dormant
Foliage:
Light/bright green
Dark rachis many-branched
Pinnae small, very wide (fan-
shaped to round)
Margins incised - ruffled-look
Refined and delicate
appearance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adiantum_capillus-veneris
© Project SOUND
© 2009 Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy
- 59. Sora are unusual
Sori marginal.
There is a flap of tissue known
as an indusium covering the
sporangia (where spores are
located).
Indusia-like membranaceous
flaps, formed from the
reflexed margins of the frond,
cover the sora
http://hardyfernlibrary.com/ferns/listSpecies.cfm?Auto=156 © Project SOUND
- 60. Easy to grow in the Soils:
Texture: most – fine in sandy
right place
pH: any local (4.0-8.0)
Light:
Part-shade to full shade –
dappled shade favored
No full sun, but bright shade is
great
Water:
Winter: adequate
Summer: best with regular
water (2-3 or 3); Zone 2 is fine
but will likely die back
Fertilizer: ½ strenght up to once
a month – particularly if grown in
container
Other: likes leaf mulch
© 2004 James M. Andre
© Project SOUND
- 61. Maidenhair Fern:
pot plant & more
Near a pond or other water
feature
As a groundcover under
trees
As a pretty, evergreen
© 2009 Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy accent plant
Pretty texture & color in
shady mixed beds
© 2009 Julie Kierstead Nelson
© Project SOUND
http://www.jaycjayc.com/adiantum-capillus-veneris-maidenhairfern/
- 62. Cultivar ‘Banksianum’
Attractive color
Larger pinnae
Very ruffled appearance
– super showy
http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=629 Available at the Grow
Native (RSABG) nursery
in Westwood &
Theodore Payne
Foundation
© Project SOUND
- 63. Maidenhair (and other) ferns as medicine
Maidenhair fern has a long history of
medicinal use – still used today
A tea/syrup used for coughs, throat
afflictions and bronchitis.
Externally, it is used as a poultice on snake
bites, bee stings etc.
In Brazilian herbal medicine today, frond/
leaf are employed for hair loss, coughs,
bronchitis, laryngitis/throat dryness, and
http://www.milagroherbs.com/images/hairsupportpills to improve appetite and digestion,
stimulate renal function, regulate
.jpg
To learn more about plant menstruation, and facilitate childbirth.
compound come to ‘Talking
Plants; next Sat. (2/12 – Has both anti-bacterial & anti-viral
10:00 a.m.) (selective) properties
© Project SOUND
- 65. Coville’s Lipfern – Cheilanthes covillei
Southwestern U.S.
into Baja
Locally in Santa
Monica & San Gabriel
Mtns
Rocky slopes, cliffs,
and ledges, 1500'-
9000‘
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flor
a_id=1&taxon_id=233500349
Chaparral, yellow pine
forest, pinyon-juniper
woodland, deserts
© Project SOUND
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?92,106,109
- 66. The Lipferns – genus
Cheilanthes
~ 150 species – about 1/2
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233500349
in Mexico & SW U.S.
10 species endemic to CA
Small ferns of dry places
Have hairs of scales on
frond underside –
adaptation to hot, dry
conditions
Very drought tolerant –
curl up and go dormant
© Project SOUND
- 67. Coville’s Lipfern – rather unique
Size:
~ 1 ft tall
~ 1 ft wide
Growth form:
Upright fronds from a short
rhizome
Drought-deciduous
Foliage:
Medium green
Up to 4-pinnate – so, very sub-
divided
Have a bumpy, cobbled appearance
– quite unusual & decorative
© Project SOUND
- 69. Look for this fern in the
Santa Monica Mtns
http://www.researchlearningcenter.org/bloom/mobile/species/Cheilanthes
_covillei.htm
© Project SOUND
- 70. Lipferns and rocks Soils:
Texture: well-drained soils –
often between rocks
pH: any local
Light:
Part-shade
Water:
Winter: adequate rains
Summer: occasional water to
dry ( Zone 1-2 to 2); will die
back to ground in drought
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: easy to grow
© 2003 Larry Blakely © Project SOUND
- 71. Mother Nature’s tips
for gardening
Plant among rocks protected from
afternoon sun.
A good understory plant for oaks
and other evergreen trees
http://arizonensis.org/sonoran/fieldguide/plantae/cheilanthes_covillei.ht Well placed in a pot or a native
rock garden, where its fine
ml
texture can be appreciated up
close.
In a mixed groundcover with
native grasses, bulbs
With its native companions: Wild
Tarragon, Elderberry, Miner’s
Lettuce, Brickelbush, Narrowleaf
Willow & Californica Goldenrod
http://www.researchlearningcenter.org/bloom/mobile/species/Cheilanthes
_covillei.htm © Project SOUND
- 73. Goldenback/Silverback Ferns –
Pentagramma triangularis
Silverback Fern (ssp.
triangularis)
Much of CA except desert
Shaded slopes, rocky areas,
north-facing surfaces such as
cliff faces and thin, rocky soils
ssp. triangularis
Goldenback Fern (ssp. viscosa)
South Coast, Channel Islands
from San Diego Co. to Santa
Barbara Co.
ssp. viscosa
Generally shaded, dry wooded or
grassy lower slopes slopes;
coastal sage scrub, chaparral,
coastal habitats
© Project SOUND
- 75. Pentagramma ferns
are quite petite…..
Size:
4-12 in. tall
4-12 in. wide
Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences
ssp. triangularis (Goldenback Fern) Growth form:
Roughly triangular shaped
Several fronds per plant
Dry up completely in
summer dry period
Foliage:
Typical for fern
Waxy gold or silver
secretions on back
Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences
ssp. viscosa (Silverback Fern) © Project SOUND
- 76. Pentagramma ferns are well suited to dry
shady places in the garden
Soils:
Texture: sandy or rocky best;
must be well-drained
pH: lower pH better (true for
most ferns)
Light: shade or filtered sun
Water:
Winter: moist soils
Summer: Zone 1 or 1-2; needs
summer dormancy
Fertilizer: none
© Project SOUND
http://desertmuseum.org/programs/ifnm_ferngallery.htm
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/goldbackfern.html
- 78. Pentagramma ferns
in the garden
Under oaks and other
summer-dry trees & shrubs
On Zone 1-2 grassy slopes
http://www.csuchico.edu/biol/Herb/curator/bidwell_park_01-01-05/Bidwell_Park_1-1-05.htm
In rock gardens and fern
gardens
Would do well as a container
plant
Native Californian’s used
plant as a painkiller for
toothache
http://www.hillkeep.ca/ferns.htm
© Project SOUND
- 79. Consider creative ways to use ferns with
different water/light requirements
http://www.andrewu.ca/?p=340
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ferntastic-Nursery/426362080592
© Project SOUND
- 81. California Polypody- Polypodium californicum
The Polypodiales:
The major lineage of polypod fern, which
comprise more than 80% of today's fern
species.
Often found growing on walls and tree
trunks where it can catch more light.
Are found in many parts of the world
including tropical, semitropical and
temperate areas.
Are one of the most advanced orders of
ferns, based on recent genetic analysis.
They arose and diversified a mere 100
million years ago, probably subsequent to
the flowering plants
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233500975
P. californicum is only found on the CA
coastal region
© Project SOUND
- 82. California Polypody in nature
Northern sea cliffs and
coastal bluffs
Soil on rocky slopes
Shaded canyons
Streambanks
N-facing slopes
Shaded roadcuts
Rocks and rocky ledges,
often granitic or volcanic
Moist banks and seeps
http://www.davidlnelson.md/Cazadero/Ferns.htm
© Project SOUND
- 83. Characteristics of CA Polypody
Size: 20” tall; individual plants ≈ 25”
wide – but often grow in spreading
clumps
Leaves:
Simple for fern – many leaflets with
serrated edges
Drought deciduous – dies back in
summer
No flowers: Sporangia are grouped in
round sori on the underside of the
leaflets.
Rhizomes (underground
stems) – relatively slow-
spreading
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/californiapolypody.html
http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/plants/s
dpls/plants/Polypodium_californi
© Project SOUND
cum.html
- 84. Growth requirements: not your eastern fern
Sun: part-shade to full shade; can
tolerate full sun only right along
coast, with adequate water
Soils:
Any well-drained
Does not tolerate alkali soils
Water:
Moist in winter-spring – even
tolerates flooding
http://www.davidlnelson.md/Cazadero/Ferns.htm Gradually reduce water for
summer/fall dormancy – must have
Probably the easiest local dormant period
fern for the garden;
Nutrients: probably benefits from
location is everything
organic mulch; not a “big eater”
© Project SOUND
- 85. Polypody in the South Bay garden
Bank cover on North-facing
slopes
On north sides of buildings
Delicate, small scale fern for
foreground rock walls
In mossy (wet) rock gardens
http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Polypodium-californicum/
Excellent under oaks
In shaded beds
In a “fern dell” – needs it’s
Easy to propagate by divisions summer drought so place
appropriately
© Project SOUND
- 86. 9 Easy (if you are patient) Steps:Growing Ferns:
1) You will need a clear plastic container (supermarkets cake container). This will
ensure high humidity.
2) The potting soil must be good quality not a generic brand - very important.
3) After putting the soil in the container dampen it. It should feel like the humus
soil you would feel in an oak forest. Not too damp not too dry. To kill bacteria and
fungal spores place the container in a microwave oven and heat for 3-5 minutes
(until it is steaming pretty good). Be careful, too long and the container will begin
to melt. Then let the soil cool for about an hour.
4) Sprinkle the spores on top of the soil , just enough so that you can see some
of the powdery spores wafting down and put the container near a window. Up
close for a north facing window, back a foot or so for south facing window
(reverse this in the Southern Hemisphere).
5) Wait. It will be 6-8 weeks until you see anything. Then you will see small flat
leaflike plants, "prothallia" that will grow to about 3/8 inches across. If there are
a lot growing close together they must be thinned out to about 1 or 2 per 3" area.
If not they will only grow male organs. During this time make sure the potting soil
in the container does not dry out.. You should check the soil every week or so.
© Project SOUND
- 87. Nine Easy (if you are patient) Steps for
Growing Ferns:
6) When the Prothallia get to 3/8" it will grow male and female organs. The
male organ will make sperm which will swim to the female part and fertilize
the egg. The egg will then grow into the fern plant that we see, called the
"Sporophyte". During this time the prothallia should be sprinkled with water
so that the sperm will be able to swim to the egg.
7) After another 6-8 weeks you will see little ferns come up; the first frond
will be about 1/2" tall. Thin them out so they are about 3" apart.
8) In the spring give them a long time to adjust to the dry outside air by
opening the top of your container a little bit each day. The open time should
increase more and more for two weeks. If they look bad, close it up again
until they recover, then try again. This is where I lose the most ferns; they
have a hard time adjusting.
9) Plant them in a mostly shady spot, but not too shady. They are very fussy
so keep an eye on them quite frequently for the first year.
© Project SOUND
- 89. Bird’s Foot Cliffbrake – Pellaea mucronata
Mostly foothills and
mountain slopes in CA; also
parts of OR, NV, AZ &
Baja
Throughout cismontane
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&ta
xon_id=233500883
California and
ssp. mucronata occasional on the deserts
mostly below 6000‘ –
locally on Catalina & San
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?92,122,127
Clemente Isl. and in Santa
Monica Mtns.
Grows in various types of
dry & rocky places
© Project SOUND
W.L. Wagner @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
- 90. You might not recognize Pellea mucronata
as being a fern
Size:
~ 1 ft tall
1+ ft wide; creeping
Growth form:
Open and erect
Stipe rather thin, dark
Foliage:
Pinnae rounded to linear
Green to blue-green
Drought-deciduous (or age to
brown)
Roots: relatively short rhizomes
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-
california/plants/pellaea-mucronata © Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pellaea_mucronata
- 91. © 2008 Keir Morse
© 2004 James M. Andre
© Project SOUND
© 2005 Michelle Cloud-Hughes
- 92. Ferns of dry places require
unusual adaptations to
accomplish reproduction
Sori: oblong or linearly
joined, submarginal
Indusium: false,
inrolled margins,
covering the entire
lower surface
Sporangia: pale brown,
maturity.
© 2005 James M. Andre
© 2008 Keir Morse © Project SOUND
http://www.answers.com/topic/dudleya
- 93. Pellea: one tough fern Soils:
Texture: well-drained
pH: any local (pH to 8.0)
Light:
Full sun to part-shade
Light shade probably optimal
Water:
Winter: good winter rains
Summer: Zone 2 or 2-3 the
first summer – then quite
drought tolerant (Zone 1 to 2)
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: can be tricky to
establish, but tough as nails after
first year
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/pellaea-mucronata
© Project SOUND
- 94. Mother Nature’s prescription: plenty of sun
Great for hot spots in
the garden
Fine in a sunny rock
garden/ rockery
In gravel; among rocks
On a hot, dry slope
In/in front of a sunny
stone wall
© 2010 Neal Kramer
© Project SOUND
- 95. Coffee Fern – Pellaea andromedifolia
http://www.coestatepark.com/pellaea_andromedifolia_coe.htm
© Project SOUND
- 96. Coffee Fern is well suited to dry shade…
Soils:
Texture: well-drained
pH: any local
Light:
Light shade to part shade
Does particularly well in bright
shade under trees
Water:
Winter: good winter rains
Summer: moderate (Zone 2 or
even 2-3)
Fertilizer: leaf mulch best
http://www.coestatepark.com/pellaea_andromedifolia_coe.htm
© Project SOUND
- 97. We end our journey
to the fabulous
world of ferns
History – long
http://images.travelpod.com/users/vayacondios/1.1277902037.there-was-a-fabulous-fernery.jpg
Unique adaptations to
life on dry land
How they reproduce
Their use in the garden
The unique ferns of CA
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lSc5eUUfA64/TPCjnuhtelI/AAAAAAAAD_4/5WpKBlxbzVo/s400/IMG_3203.JPG
© Project SOUND