Rock ferns

[zen]

Ferns are associated primarily with shadowy woodland, but there are many species that, like alpine plants, grow in rock crevices. I've encountered some of rock ferns even in really high mountains (like 3000 m. AMSL).
Some are quite large, like Dryopteris villari or Polystichum lonchistis, and the others, like Asplenim septentrionale or Asplenium fisum, are small in size.
I would like to show you a couple of pictures showing ferns that I've met in their natural habitat, as well as some of those that grow in my own garden.
Ferns may be an interesting part of the rock garden and I hope I'll to convince you to that.
Maybe some of you also show your ferns?

Asplenium trichomanes





Cystopteris fragilis



Asplenium ruta-muraria





various ferns in rock crevice



some photos no longer available via photobucket- links removed

[annew]

Beautiful photos, Zen 

[ranunculus]

Superb, Zen ... more please!

[kindredspiritkevin]

Can't match the quality of those pics but I potted up a trough last week with Rusty Back (Ceterach Officinarum) and Spleenwort, maidenhair (Asplenium Trichomanes) in the soil they were growing in from a Slate Quarry slagheap. (Farmer gave them to me.)


I think they're ideal for troughs.

[zen]

 I'm glad that you liked my photos. Small ferns are very good for trought.

Asplenium ruta-muraria, saxifraga paniculata and sepervivum tectorum

(photos no longer available via photobucket. )

[maggiepie]

Fantastic pics, Zen.

I love ferns and have a few indoors.
They really brighten up the long winter.

[Hoy]

Hi zen!
I'm a fan of ferns too - both small and large. I haven't pictured all I have though, but here are two:
Matteuccia struthiopteris and Asplenium septentrionale. The first one is growing in my woodland at home and the second one is growing at my cabin.
I'll see if I can dig up more pictures later.

[Maren]

Ferns are great favourites of mine too, I have them in pots, troughs, beds and popping up where I didn't expect them.

I would love them even more if I could get them to be in perfect frond in mid March when I really want them on my display stand at the London Orchid Show. Even the gardencentres can't come up with anything other than the subtropical maidenhair fern. They are lovely with tropical orchids but quite out of character for my pleione display. Can any one suggest a smallish fern that I might be able to coax into lush greenery at that difficult time of year?

[gote]

Maren,
Most ferns are too big for your purpose but Asplenium trichomanes is green all year round, nice looking and not too big. A. fontanum might be another choice. Ceterach officinarum and A. ruta-muraria are also smallish but suggest arid environment that does not seem right for Pleiones.
Good luck
Göte

 

[shelagh]

Hi Zen,

Asplenium fissum and rhizophyllum both look terrific if you have any spores of these I would love a pinch.

Maren I agree that Asplenium trichomanes and fontanum both being evergreen would look well in March but A. fontanum is rather hard to find.  Woodsia polystichoides comes through early though and looks lovely and fresh, a lime green.

[annew]

Some of the smaller cultivars of Asplenium scolopendrium would look nice, such as 'Cornutum abruptum' or 'Kaye's laceratum' or 'Peraferans'. Polypodium 'Hornet' is very dwarf. Blechnum penna-marina is easy to get lots of - it runs like mad.

[Maren]

Thank you all for your lovely suggestions. I shall put my nose into the fern catalogue and hope to find the ones you mentioned. It would be soooo nice.

[zen]

Hoy That's great to have your own cliff with Asplenium septentrionale. You can plant there other rock ferns. I also like large ferns, especially those of the genus Dryopteris and Polystichum. I have more than one hundred species of ferns.

MarenYou should also consider the ferns of the genus cheilanthes for example Cheilanthes acrostica or other. They are small and always green. If you want I can send you a young plant Cheilanthes acrostica

shelagh If my seedlings Asplenium fissum  are well established I will send them to you in the spring. I have also spores and I can send them to you now. I do not have spores of Asplenium fissum but maybe in the spring I will be able to share my plant.

[Maren]

Zen,
I would love that. My address is on my website.

I have looked around and only 3 of the suggested ferns are commercially available.
I will be looking for:

Asplenium fontanum
Asplenium ruta-muraria
Asplenium scolopendrium 'Cornutum abruptum'
Asplenium scolopendrium 'Peraferans'
Ceterach officinarum
Polypodium 'Hornet'
Woodsia polystichoides

[Hoy]

Anybody growing Botrychium?

I do "grow" some at my mountain cabin. They are actually wild but prefere open meadows so I mow the grass in late summer or early autumn. I have three or four species there.

Here are three or four of them: B. boreale, lanceolatum, lunaria and an unknown.