Sea of Ferns

After the rain stopped around lunchtime today I decided to hike along the north side of the mountain where the ferns cover the landscape. July on the mountain brings a sea of ferns in this areas where the ground stays moist. The forest floor has changed so much in the last 4 months but I especially love the sea of ferns that take over this time of year.

We only reached 63 degrees F yesterday but today we will be closer to 80 degree F. Not much sun to speak of yesterday, it rained all day and night and before it finished this morning we had slightly over 1 inch of rain.

 “We love the things we love for what they are.”   — Robert Frost

 

If you are interested in trading a few garden plants, check out my recent post, Plant Exchange.

 

Advertisement

Netted Chain Ferns

Home

We have a lot of the Netted Chain Ferns growing around our property here on the mountain. They really grow well in moist to wet soil and stand about 1 to 2 feet tall.

The fronds are 5 to 8 inches wide and are deeply lobed sterile fronds. The y round veins above and below the leaf form a netted chain like pattern which is where the name comes from. The Netted Chain Fern colonizes by shallow slender rhizomes. And they can be transplanted easily. Be sure that you plant them in wet soil with very little to no sun as they love the shade and grow best in full shade, especially in South Carolina.

Bracken Ferns and Ostrich Ferns

My Work