These maidenhair ferns are my babies. Of course, all of my seed grown plants are my babies, but there’s something about growing ferns from spore that feels different. With seeds, you sow seeds, you wait for them to germinate, and then you bump them up to a bigger size. With spore, there’s an added step. First you have to grow the adults, which are no bigger than moss. Those then reproduce to produce sporophytes. Sporophyte means the spore-producing form of the plant, what we know as ferns.
Maidenhair ferns benefit habitat, too
One of the things I often hear is “if nothing is eating your plant, it’s useless for habitat” or something along those lines. That’s categorically false. While we should focus on including more plants that host caterpillar species, only planting host plants is a bit extreme and myopic.
Why is it myopic? Because a habitat is far more than just a food source. Not to mention, plants are in and of themselves an entire kingdom of life, and they don’t want to be eaten. In the case of maidenhair ferns, there are some insects that eat it, like all plants, aphids, mites, etc. But ferns also provide nesting material for birds. They provide shelter for smaller animals on the ground. You need more than just something to eat; you need shelter, too.
Ferns help other plants, not just animals
There’s more ways than one to hide a plant from deer. Scent is, of course, one way. Hiding plants among greenery is another. Deer have horrible eyesight. You can have a single plant standing in a sea of mulch, but you may as well paint a target and hang a welcome sign. Plants like ferns and grasses, which deer don’t eat, help other plants blend in, so they’re less likely to be picked off. The airy fronds help to cast a camouflaged shade pattern, allowing juicy forb to grow.
Ferns also add to diversity in an ecosystem. Each plant hosts its own microbiota, and the vast majority have some sort of association with fungi. There is a hypothesis that the greater the diversity of native species in a given area, the harder it is for invasive species to move in.
A maidenhair fern is airy and delicate enough to be tucked in among other plants. They do spread a little over time, but not nearly as much as other, more assertive ferns. They can be used to fill in as a ground cover where spring ephemerals are finishing up, since that’s when they emerge. No woodland garden or shady pocket of any other garden is complete without ferns.
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