The name fern brings to our mind only a handful varieties which we are familiar with. But believe me , there are more than 12k varieties of ferns , starting from height as low as 6 inches to more than 30 meter high tree ferns. This post brings few of the most popular and commonly grown indoor fern plants. Let us see about some of the major varieties of Ferns which can be grown as house plant without much effort. In this post , I am going to list out some of the major varieties of indoor ferns.
Common varieties of Indoor ferns :
- Boston Fern ( Sword Fern)
- Stag horn Fern
- Maidenhair Fern
- Japanese Painted fern
- Asparagus Fern
- Crocodile Fern
- Australian Tree Fern
- Horsetail fern (Equisetum)
- Wire Leaf fern
- Southern Shield Fern
- Rabbit’s foot fern
- Cloverleaf fern:
- Ancient fern:
Boston Indoor Ferns
- First of all , Boston Fern ,the most common variety of fern is also called by other names – Sword Fern & ladder fern depending upon the localities
- They are also called as the Sword Fern. Boston ferns are the most commonly available fern which can grow with little care as house plants . Do not expose the Boston fern to freezing temperature which will make the plant to die. In places of extreme & freezing cold weather, they can be pruned and kept safe in areas above the freezing temperature . During Spring , the plant can be revived by proper watering and fertilizer.
Don’ts :
- Do not water much or fertilize during winter months.
- Do not expose them to freezing temperature
Staghorn Indoor Ferns :
This fern’s leaves resemble the Stag’s ( male deer) horn. Hence that name . Stag horn ferns are epiphytes .So they cannot directly grow on their own. Stag horns need support. Kindly note here that epiphytes and parasites are different and epiphyte uses the big tree for support only , whereas parasite survives on the nutrients taken from the parent plant.
- Stage horn need good shade and misting without water-logging.
- They also need Continuous humidity. Dryness shouldn’t be allowed.
They are known for their long life and hence used as family heirlooms
Maidenhair Fern :
These ferns are characterized by small, beautiful , shapy and almost round leaves . Maidenhair exhibits slow growth as it takes around 3-4 years to reach its full size. Maidenhair fern’s leaves resemble ‘duck back’ as water doesn’t stick to its surface . It belongs to Adiantum genus derived from Adiantos which means “not wet’ in Greek.
- It requires High level of Humidity .
- Filtered light alone is more than enough. Hence do no expose to direct sunlight.
- Fertilizer is not very essential .
- Maidenhair ferns are easy targets for bugs and pests. Hence regular care is must.
- Regular pruning and removal of leaves is must as the leaves are very sensitive to light . As a result , they are bound to wilt and wither with excess light and dry conditions. you need to respond immediately to these signs.
Japanese Painted Ferns :
Japanese painted ferns as the name suggests have Silvery fronds. The stems sport a deep Red and blue color to make them unique from other varieties. The cultivar ‘Pictum,’ ,cultivar ‘Burgundy Lace’ and ‘wildwood twist’ are the three major types of Japanese painted ferns. They belong to the genum , ‘Athyrium niponicum’
- Japanese painted ferns grow well on shaded regions. Never allow direct sunlight for it will do real harm.
- They belong to the deciduous fern type.
Asparagus Fern
Asparagus fern is easy to grow as they immediately adapt to the environment. The lush green , feathery asparagus fern develop thorny buds as they grow. However their beauty and benefits are much more than this small hindrance while handling them. They are native to Africa. Asparagus fern are also know by the names, Emerald feather, Lace fern & Emerald fern
- Asparagus fern is not really a fern in the first place because they sometime flower and produce small berries.
- They are toxic to dogs and cats. Hence keep them away from pets.
- Adequately Water it and repot every few years.
- Keep misting the stems to for ensuring humidity to the plant. Periodical pruning of dead leaves is required
Crocodile Fern
This fern is native to Australia. Crocodile fern derives its name from the scaly textured leaves that resembles the skin of a crocodile. It is also called as the alligator fern. This fern has been a popular houseplant among many.
- It thrives well in Filtered or indirect sunlight . Crocodile ferns may burn out when exposed to direct direct sunlight .
Southern Shield Fern
These Ferns are native to Florida, USA tough they are found in Louisiana on the swamp banks. They are best suited for shade gardens, They have several other aliases by name Southern wood fern and Kunth’s maiden fern.
- They grow up to four feet tall. This fern performs best in moist soils . It also has withstands dry conditions .
- One good news is its not preferred by deer making it withstand the wild stag attack .
- Best suited for humid and colder weather. Also adapts to dry soil when established.
Australian Tree Fern :
First and foremost , we should understand that of ferns are characterized by more than 25 feet tall trees. Australian Tree Ferns are more of a regular tree rather than a fern ,for instance . Hence it is too large for indoor applications , but for huge greenhouses. As the name implies , they are native to Australia .However Australian ferns are grown most of the other parts of the world . . However it can make a value addition to the landscape elevation of the house
- Australian Tree fern performs best in warm temperatures and year-round sunshine.
- They are not drought tolerant .Hence require continuous watering
Horse Tail Fern
Horse Tail Fen is called as the living fossil as it is the only surviving plant of the Equisetidae, subclass . Firstly, you should note that it dates back to Paleozoic period. Modern Horsetails first appeared in Jurassic period. The genus Calamites of the family Calamitaceae, is seen abundantly in coal deposits of the Carboniferous period.
- The spacing of nodes in horsetails narrow down towards the top of the fern. This inspired John Napier to invent logarithms.
- The horse tail ferns are quite invasive and self prolific in nature. So If it is used as outdoor plant, better to contain them with secondary barrier.
Wire leaf Fern :
Wire leaf vine is a twining plant with its origins from Australia and New Zealand. The most important and unique feature is wire leaf fern is a flowering plant . It blooms in late spring followed by an unusual five-pointed white fruits .
- Though wire leaf fern performs best in shady areas, it adapts itself well in sunny areas too , but that stunts its growth rate to a large extent.
- It can adapt well on sloppy, rocky regions. As a result it can grow well on infertile soil.
- Water-Logging is its first enemy . Never allow that to happen.
- Wire leaf fern reproduces through grafting too.
The above is definitely not an exhaustive list of indoor fern plants to be used as house plant. Some of the previously noted ferns like Southern Shield Fern, Rabbit’s foot fern’ Cloverleaf fern & Ancient fern have not been detailed Only the most popular and adaptable ones are explained briefly. Will explain about other varieties in later posts.
Please feel free to post your comments.. Regards
Apart from Indoor ferns , if you want to read about Top 10 Indoor plants, Click here