Originating from South America, the delta maidenhair fern is a pretty delicate plant in its own right, but can be used to complement and soften other arrangements. The dark green triangular fronds are semierect at first, drooping gracefully with age and can be up to 8 in. (20 cm) long x 6 in. (15 cm) wide. To grow well, il needs moist air, warmth, and shade, preferring a conservatory or bath­room to a living room or hallway.

Size: Height 18 in. (45 cm), spread to 2 ft. (60 cm).

Light: Bright, but indirect.

Temperature: 60—70°F (15—21°C).

Moisture: Keep moist, but do not allow to become waterlogged.

Feeding: Benefits from monthly feed­ing throughout the growing season.

Propagation: Divide in spring, or break off new clumps from the rhi­zome with one or two fronds attached.

Special needs: Ferns cannot thrive if they are neglected. They need both moist air and soil; dry air, gas fumes, and cold drafts will harm them, as will allowing the soil to dry out and then soaking it. Remove older fronds as their appearance deteriorates, a few at a time, from right at their base in spring each year to allow space for new shoots to develop.

Ferns are found throughout the world, in a variety of habitats. Many favor wooded posi­tions, thriving in shade and high humidity, and may grew on the forest floor or as epiphytes high in the trees. Some are not suited to being brought indoors because they dislike the artificial, dry atmosphere caused by central heating; the ones that fare best tend to have originated in warmer areas.

Unlike other groupings, such as the cacti, ferns do not belong to a single family: they are cat­egorized because of their means of reproduction, which is different to other plants in that they do not produce flowers and seeds, but spores. Their leaves, or fronds, vary widely, from entire and strap like to feathery and finely divided, and the mature fronds carry neatly arranged, brown spore cases (sori) on their undersides. All make lush, attractive foliage plants in the right conditions.

From North America and eastern Asia, adiantums are among the most loved ferns. They are known as maid­enhair ferns because their shiny, dark leaf stalks resemble human hair.

The five-fingered maidenhair fern or Northern maidenhair fern is extremely attractive. It differs from other maidenhair ferns in the almost palmate shape of its 1 ft. (30 cm) frond blades, carried on leafstalks up to 20 in. (30 cm) long.

The small leaflets (pinnules) are oblong and pale green. All maidenhair ferns need warmth and humidity to thrive. A.p. ‘Japonicum’ (early red maiden­hair) has purple-pink fronds. A.p. ‘Laciniatum’ has fronds to 8 in. (20 cm) and deeply divided pinnules.

Size: Height to 2 ft. (60 cm).

Light: Indirect sunlight.

Temperature: Normal to warm room; minimum 50°F (10°C).

Moisture: Keep moist at all times.

Feeding: Give half-strength liquid fertilizer once a month in spring and summer.

Propagation: Divide older clumps or remove a small piece of rhizome with 1—2 fronds attached.

Special needs: Adiantums like high humidity, but not wet roots (which will quickly rot), and they should never be allowed to dry out. Drafts and dry air will shrivel and eventu­ally kill the leaves.

This true fern from tropical Asia takes its common name of bird’s-nest fern from the arrangement of its leathery, apple-green leaves, which form an open rosette. Unlike many ferns, the leaves are uncut, and may reach 4½ ft. (1.3 m) long, although usually they are about 18 in. (45 cm) long x 2—3 in. (5—7cm) wide.

New leaves uncurl from the fibrous, brown central core and are delicate for the first few weeks so should not be han­dled. Brown blotches on the reverse of older fronds are likely to be spore cases rather than insects, particularly if arranged in a regular pattern.

Size: Height 2 ft. (60 cm), spread 3 ft. (90 cm).

Light: Medium light at all times, never direct sun.

Temperature: Keep warm; not below 60°F (15°C).

Moisture: Keep thoroughly moist.

Feeding: Apply standard liquid fertilizer once a month from spring until fall.

Propagation: By spores (difficult to achieve) as offsets are not formed.

Special needs: Mature fronds benefit from having dust gently wiped away.

The large, so-called dwarf tree fern from Fiji will tolerate a certain amount of dry air indoors. The fronds are carried in a rosette and can be either sterile or fertile, reaching 3 ft. (90 cm) long x 1 ft. (30 cm) wide. The shiny, green leaflets are slightly drooping. As it grows, a scaly black trunk develops, up to 3 ft. (90 cm).

Size: Height 4 ft. (1.2 m), spread 3 ft. (90 cm).

Light: Indirect sunlight.

Temperature: Warm; preferably above 60°F (15°C).

Moisture: Keep very moist. If the temperature falls below 55°F (12°C), reduce watering to a minimum.

Feeding: Give half-strength liquid fertilizer once a month in spring and summer.

Propagation: Remove offsets, if they are produced; otherwise use spores.

Special needs: To maintain adequate humidity, place the pot on a tray of moist pebbles.

This is a fern in the traditional sense, with creeping rhizomes that send up graceful, deeply divided fronds, which can be as long as 30 x 12 in. (75 x 30 cm wide). Each is divided into 2—3 oval to lance-shaped pinnae, which have short, coarse hairs on the veins.

The pinnae are divided into 8 x 1 ½ in. (20 x 4 cm) pinnules, which are oblong with a notch at the tip, and toothed or lobed along the edges. The leafstalks are up to 14 in. (35 cm) long and covered with coarse hairs. Microlepia comes from tropical Asia. M.s. ‘Cristata’ has fronds with lobed pinnae, crested at the tips, giving an unusual effect.

Size: Height to 3 ft. (90 cm).

Light: Indirect sunlight or partial shade.

Temperature: Normal room.

Moisture: Keep moist from spring to fall, drier in winter.

Feeding: Use standard liquid fertilizer once a month from spring to fall.

Propagation: Divide rhizomes in spring or sow spores at 70°F (20°C).

Special needs: To maintain the high humidity this plant requires, mist regularly or place the pot on a tray of moist pebbles.

The Boston fern is widespread in tropical regions. It is a lush, graceful fern with long, arching fronds, and makes a lovely specimen plant on a pedestal or in a hanging basket.

In the right conditions, the fronds can reach 4 ft. (1.2 m) long, and are rich mid-green with numerous pinnae occurring alternately on each side of the midrib. As the plant matures, two rows of brown spore cases appear on the underside of each pinna, either side of the central vein.

Size: Spread 3 ft. (90 cm) at five years.

Light: Indirect sunlight or warm par­tial shade (not deep shade).

Temperature: Normal room.

Moisture: Keep moist at all times.

Feeding: Give standard liquid fertil­izer every two weeks from spring to fall.

Propagation: Furry runners grow from the rhizome and plantlets develop at their tips. Remove plantlet once it has rooted by severing the runner with a knife. Spore propaga­tion is not easy, as viability is variable.

Special needs: In higher temperatures, dry air will cause browning of the pinnae. Place the pot on a tray of moist pebbles to increase humidity.

Unusually for a fern, the button fern from New’ Zealand and Australia prefers a dry environment. Its stout, creeping rhizomes give rise to red- brown, scaly leafstalks. The low, arching, and spreading fronds are up to 1 ft. (30 cm) long, and dull dark green with pairs of glossy minutely-toothed pinnae that are round at first, becoming oval with age. The shape of this plant makes it ideal as a filler in a larger display to soften the outline.

Size: Spread 18 in. (45 cm).

Light: Indirect sunlight or partial shade.

Temperature: Normal room.

Moisture: Keep thoroughly moist.

Feeding: Give standard liquid fertilizer once a month from spring until fall.

Propagation: Divide in spring, or sow-spores.

Special needs: Reduce watering if the temperature is low’ in winter, mist daily if it rises in summer.

This evergreen fern from Northeast Asia is commonly known as Holly fern or Korean rock fern and grows into a shuttlecock-shaped plant, up th 18 in. (45 cm) high, with broad, dark green fronds. Each frond is lance shaped, with spiny-toothed and pointed pinnae.

Cultivation details as for Polypodium.

A neat, small plant that forms a clump of fronds from a short underground rhizome, the table fern or Cretan brake is found in tropical and subtropical regions. Each frond has i slender stalk of 8—10 in. (20—25 cm) long, arching pinnae that can be striped, variegated, or plain, according to variety, and carried singly or in forked pairs. Pc. Albolineata has leaf segments with a broad white stripe. Pc. ‘Parkeri’ is larger, with glossy fronds and finely toothed leaflets.

Size: Height 1 ft. (30 cm).

Light: Indirect sunlight or warm, par­tial shade (not deep shade).

Temperature: Normal room.

Moisture: Keep thoroughly moist.

Feeding: Give half-strength liquid fertilizer once a month from spring until fall.

Propagation: Divide larger plants in spring, or sow spores.

Special needs: Cut out older fronds as they fade to make room for new ones. In higher temperatures, increase the humidity by placing the pot on a tray of moist pebbles.