My favorite botanical author sharing his thoughts on our native ferns
Nephrolepis exaltata
Nephrolepidaceae
The weekly Friday field trip got swatted down by waiting for the nice repair man in my kitchen as I write. So I’ll back the camera up to a fun green Wednesday meeting with the Broward Co. Native Plant Society at the Secret Woods Nature Center in Ft. Lauderdale.
A great part of “botanizing farther south” is more ferns. A dominant species at Secret Woods is Boston Fern, not that it is rare up here in Palm Beach County. But why is it called Boston Fern? (Be patient, we are getting to that.) Boston Fern was once a huge single-species industry, interestingly dating back to the turn of the 20th Century orgy of unfettered exotic plant introductions. Sort of ironic that a pillar of the early Florida nursery industry was a native. I grew up with a big one hanging from the fireplace mantle.
Today’s pictures by…
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The Shrub Queen 
Interesting. I have some kind of Sword Ferns which I have to pull up by the garage can load. They are great for pots as they will not go anywhere.
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I thought I had the native Boston Ferns, until this morning! They appeared a couple of years ago, hopefully I won’t be overrun, but I think sun and sugar sand will limit them.
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Good luck. I started with two that were passed along. They sat for about two years and then took off. I could start my own business selling them!
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Hmm, we may have to start a two state fern business, they do make beautiful pots ,though! I use them in almost all the flower arrangements as well.
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They are house plants here, how lovely to be able to grow them outside. I love ferns.
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I love ferns as well, some of these will take over your house.
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