Costa takes a walk through Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens to explore the fabulous world of ferns. Subscribe 🔔 ab.co/GA-subscribe
Ferns have been evolving for hundreds of millions of years, adapting to many different climates and habitats, from swamps to rainforests, deserts to mountain tops. There are over 10,000 species of ferns worldwide and they have a versatility to suit any garden. The Botanic Gardens in Sydney have a collection of over 350 species in their fernery and greenhouses, and Costa’s here to shine a light on how these plants are an important part of our ecosystem, and beautiful additions to the garden.
The most statuesque and common are the tree ferns which can be found in almost any nursery. They’re the largest of the ferns and can provide a spectacular addition to most gardens, growing up to 20 m tall.
Cyathea australis or rough tree fern is recognisable for its prickly hairs growing at the base of the fronds, and the large round leaf scars on the trunk/ If you're looking for something to fill a difficult spot in your garden this will do the job. Don't be deceived by its refined symmetry and beautifully elegant fronds; this fern is extremely hardy and tolerates direct sun. It will survive frost and even works well in a pot.
Dicksonia antarctica or soft tree fern is less hardy, preferring creek beds or wet forests in the shade. It's a truly graceful beauty with its large spreading fronds. You’ll need to water it well and mulch to retain moisture.
Angiopteris evecta or king fern, is deserving of its title as it’s been evolving for more than 300 million years. It’s an Aussie native with showy fronds that can reach between 2-7ms. They love shady spots and warm habitat. Incredibly, these regal fronds are held aloft by water pressure alone, and so need to be grown somewhere with constant moisture. If you take a closer look at the underside of many fern fronds, you might find brown sunken or raised spots. Don’t worry! These are not signs of terrible pests or disease, but a unique characteristic of ferns called sori which hold the spores ferns use to reproduce.
Looking up into the canopy from our ground huggers we've got the ever-popular epiphytic ferns.
Platycerium species also known as Elk horn and stag horn grow on the trunks of rainforest trees along the coast of NSW and QLD. They stick to almost any surface and catch your eye from any point in any garden. Incredible pendulous fronds droop down like antlers. While they can become quite large, they start small, so the best thing you can do is get one going now. Although they're very tough, they don't like to be overwatered. If you want to give them a boost, throw in some slow-release fertiliser, or even a banana, behind the shield frond.
The Botanic Gardens fernery creates ideal growing conditions for sub-tropical ferns, behind the scenes there are many truly tropical ones. Costa’s been given special access to take a look at some of the impressive species in the collection. The climate here mimics the warm and moist habitats of NE Queensland where tropical ferns thrive.
Microsorum punctatum or fishtail fern. The variety ‘Lobatum’ has shaggy, frilly, lobed leaves which are really quite lush. It's an epiphyte but it will also grow in a hanging basket.
Drynaria meyeniana or basket fern is one of the standouts of this collection. This plant is particularly rare that's adapted to monsoonal conditions. The key to growing them well is to allow the potting mix to get fairly dry in between watering. They’ve adapted to have two types of fronds. In deep drought, the plant will shed the fertile fronds but retain the sterile ones, so it can still collect leaf litter and water to stay alive.
Millions of years of evolution have helped ferns thrive, so no matter where you are in the country, it's worth taking a closer look and finding one that's just right for you.
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