Fern Frenzy

 Hey, guess what?! We got new ferns at the nursery! Or, you might already know if you’ve floated into the nursery recently. I will say, these babies are flying off the shelves. Here’s a brief synopsis of their individual characters.

Silver Dollar Maidenhair (Adiantum peruvianum)

From Peru, part shade. These beauties get to 3ft high and their new frond emerges a pink and rosy sunset color aging to lush green. I love the large fronds, unusual for a maidenhair, fairly fast growing. If you collect ferns, you’ve got to grab this one.

Snowflake Maidenhair (Adiantum raddianum variegatum)

I’ve never seen a variegated maidenhair fern before that I can remember so this one is really special. Similar in shape and size to the common maidenhair, 18-24” and definitely part shade. A unique addition for the plant enthusiast.

Fragrant Maidenhair (Adiantum raddianum)

Ever-loved and most commonly chosen for its ease of care and simplicity. In fact, that’s why I love this fern, it’s green, it’s bright, it’s cheery, it smells good, what more could you ask for? 18-24” part-full shade.

Palapalai Fern or Lace Fern (Microlepia strigos)

Another well-loved fern we brought in is the beautiful lacey palapalai, a standard in the shade garden and just as common as the fragrant maidenhair. Standing 2-3ft tall, she can tolerate wetter feet. I’ve got her next to a downspout and it tends to flood there during rain. Part-full shade. A Native Hawaiian plant!

Japanese Bird's Nest Fern (Asplenium nidus antiquum)

These are actually epiphytic ferns! Part to full shade, 4’ spread and 2’ high. They are slow growing. Check out our Royal Poinciana at the nursery and see the native bird's nest fern tied inside. This variety will get over 6’! Your non-native bird's nest will look great with orchids in a tree or in the ground.

Crocodile Fern (Microsorum crocodyllus)

We got another cool fern, it’s called the crocodile fern. Yes, it’s native to Australia and it does look like crocodile skin. It is epiphytic like the bird's nest fern and will grow to approximately 3’. A very hardy easy to grow fern with a bushy habit and is fast growing. The fronds have a pleasant fragrance, typical for the genus (related to the Laua’e fern). They like partial to full shade and will be more upright with greater sun exposure.

Silver Brake Fern (Pteris argyrea)

The Silver Brake fern is similar to the common silver lace fern. 18-24” part shade and well loved. A beautifully variegated fern that’s a solid go-to, easy to grow and very forgiving of mistakes. Keep the soil moist and she’ll do great. Or forget and she’ll forgive you.

Macho Fern (or Giant Boston Fern)

I nearly forgot about the Macho Ferns! Not a new fern to us but we have a beautiful crop of young macho ferns coming up! I love these guys, they are great in hanging baskets if you need to cover a window they will fill up full and dense! Part to full shade and 4’ in height.

This article was written by Holly, Senior Sales Associate at Kauai Seascapes Nursery.