#dryopteris

Plant of the Day

Saturday 6 September 2025

At least three different species of fern were growing on this shaded stone wall including Asplenium trichomanes (maidenhair spleenwort), Asplenium scolopendrium (hart's tongue fern) and Dryopteris filix-mas (male fern). They certainly created a great wild addition to the urban landscape of Stromness, Orkney.

I’m very anxious and overwhelmed for a bunch of reasons, so of all things to post, I post ferns. Which as houseplants, are the epitome of anxiety. Or so I’m told.

Featuring my collection, minus one crocodile fern (mildly sunburned but fine): Staghorn fern, Japanese shield fern, rabbit’s foot fern, and delta maidenhair. Oddly enough, the rabbits foot is the most likely fern to communicate annoyance, and I think that’s due to me forgetting about it since they’re fairly tough. Also it’s sitting where I can’t immediately see it. (The mug was broken but found new life as a pot once I drilled a drain hole into it!)

The maidenhair has been with me for over a month and a half now and seems weirdly content, so long as I check in with it each day. Watching the new fronds come in has been so satisfying. Aside from watering regularly with fish tank water and good light, these babies get no special treatment. They all live within a foot of west facing windows, which is perfect for winter/spring/fall growing, and they get monitored in summer to make sure they don’t burn: they can easily be moved to less direct light should they become unhappy. Most fern problems seem to stem from poor lighting and improper watering related to said lighting. Then again, I’m no expert.

I do not know what I will do when/if Hector the staghorn reaches massive size. I guess the room will then belong to him! He’s grown so much since I got him a year ago.

I guess I’m happy to find these ferns are tougher than I was lead to believe. Which makes sense, considering I have native ferns in my landscaping (and want so many more!!!)

Two members of the shield fern family, Dryopteridaceae

Diplazium pycnocarpon, glade fern, prefers high moisture and humidity and does well in dense shade, often I see this species not in glades but in ravines prone to some flooding living away from the bashside of rocks(sheltered side) and as a chasmophyte, a crack dwelling plant; but to clarify it is lithophitic, rock loving, but not having an epipetric( living on rocks soley) habit.). (epipetric is a delineate rock obligate)

Marginal Wood Fern Dryopteris marginalis Dryopteridaceae

Dryopteris arguta, Coastal or Marginal Wood Fern

Dryopteridaceae

native, perennial fern