Ferns

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Ferns are a plant group consisting of several ancient families. Their complicated life cycles differ from other plants. Like mosses, ferns have no flowers, and reproduce from spores, rather than seeds. They have extremely successful survival strategies, occurring worldwide from the tropics to the arctic, in wet environments, floating on lakes and rivers, in forests growing on trees, on rocks, even in deserts. Ferns are found in huge numbers in tropical rainforests, where they often make up a significant total of the biomass.

 

South Florida's native ferns are threatened by development and loss of habitat. Pinecrest Gardens preserves a remnant of the limestone and moist shady environment that many species need.

Although some ferns are delicate and exacting in their growing requirements, the robust Giant Leatherfern, occurring naturally at the Gardens, grows coarse, twelve-foot fronds that can tolerate full sunlight and brackish water.

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