YORKTON - Isn’t it interesting to see a plant that we haven’t seen for a long time! In the last couple weeks I saw just such a plant: the plumosa fern.
You know this plant: very, very delicate leaves on slender stems. The leaves look like small needles, giving the plant a wispy, ethereal look. It used to be a very common houseplant, but as so many do, they come in fashion, then go out of fashion when other new plants come along. But it’s been so long since I saw this plant that it was new to me again!
So, time for some homework. First of all, this plant, though it is called a fern, is not a true fern. Ferns are a family of plants that are unique because they don’t make more of their kind from seeds or rhizomes: they reproduce by spores. This plant reproduces by seeds, but is called a fern because it just looks like one. If you do some reading about ferns, you’ll find many interesting surprises: some plants are called ferns (because they reproduce by spores) but they have solid leaves that don’t look “ferny” at all, like the bird’s nest fern or kangaroo fern.
Or if you are familiar with the fascinating staghorn fern, you’ll agree that it doesn’t look like what we think of when we say the term “fern”.
There are over ten thousand varieties in the fern family, and they go far beyond the familiar Boston fern. Many make great houseplants.
If we have acquired a plumosa fern for our houseplant collection, we will want to keep it away from direct sun: those delicate leaves will dry out or scorch quickly. I read that the plant would love an east window area, or the far corner of a bright room. No direct sun for this beauty. We also want to keep the soil moist, not wet, so that the well-draining soil doesn’t ever dry out completely. We have to be sure they are never sitting in water. We can water them well, but let the water drain out. They love humidity so the moisture consideration is very important.
The plant is very diminutive and delicate, and makes an interesting houseplant. And it also has some interesting cousins! The foxtail fern belongs to the same asparagus fern branch of the family: this is a larger plant but very pretty with fronds that are bushy and have a strong conical shape. The pretty Ming fern is also related in the plant family.
I’ll quickly share a funny story with you. Many years ago, Mom had a beautiful staghorn fern. As you know, the plant will have what is sometimes called “velvet” on it: the leaves will look fuzzy, because there are tiny hairs on them. Because the staghorn is an epiphyte (that is, it gets some moisture from the air like an orchid), the velvet helps conserve moisture for the plant. Well, one day, a well-meaning guest thought that the plant was dusty, and so to ‘help’ Mom, she took a tissue and vigorously wiped each frond ‘clean’. Needless to say, the plant died soon after. Lesson? The velvet is a sign of a healthy staghorn: do not remove it!
The Yorkton and District Hort Society will be holding their first meeting of 2023 on March 15 at the Yorkton Public Library. Our special guest will be Dana from Mehan Flowers, and she’ll be telling us about growing specialty cut flowers, perfect for any occasion! Won’t that be a lovely topic to get us thinking about spring! Come out, everyone is welcome!
As always, we thank our friends at YTW for their great work in bringing us local news. Visit the hort society at www.yorktonhort.ca and see what’s happening. Enjoy your seed catalogues and have a nice week!
