Wednesday, May 01, 2024

Neat Ferns

Behold! 
The Cinnamon Fern!



I get excited when I see these guys as they are large and really stand out in the spring. So far in the past 28 years I've only found 3 places on our land where they come up. They like to grow near a wet area. Last year was so dry that I don't recall them coming up near our creek bottom. Or I missed this plant?

I just love how a fern comes up in a tight curl.
 


Close up of the same fern curl as above.
I've heard of people who look for these in the forest and collect the not so hairy curls to eat. They call them Fiddleheads.

I have not tried it as I'm still in the learning stage about fern plants. Plus there are not enough of these in my forest to harvest and eat.


Close up of the leaves inside the curling head of the fern. Ferns fascinate me as they have such symmetry to their leaves!


More Cinnamon Ferns found at
Duck Egg County Park
on 4 24


I found these on a south facing hillside
high above the water
but in a moist area.

The brown 'stuff' is supposed to 
be spores according to 
information on these ferns.


Another fern that I am very familiar with is the Maidenhair Fern. They are my favorite fern in the forest.

This group emerging from the forest floor 
looks like they are literally
dancing.


Maidenhair Fern, come up red
and turn green.
They spread out like a beautiful spiral
after they mature.




A mature Maidenhair Fern:


There are other ferns, but I don't know enough about them 
--> Yet <-- 
to put a name to them. But I do enjoy finding their beautiful curls in the spring and admire them through out the year.

Even in winter they add a bit of interest to the forest
Photo from the winter of 2011:


Chores are done! Yard is mowed!
And it look like I can go out again today and explore.



Who knows what we will find?

5 comments:

  1. I have a whole lot of ferns but I don't know what kind. They aren't in the wild. It will be awhile before yard work can be done, we are having a rainy week. I have no doubt you will find something!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, there is a lot of rain happening up your way. We had rain last night and will have rain starting tonight through Sunday. It is okay. After the drought we had last year, the rain is welcome.

      I do know that ferns are pretty, but I am not very good at figuring them all out.

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  2. I cannot tell the difference in ferns, I like them all! Raining here the past few days...today is overcast so who knows...it is what it is. You mowed! I suspect in about 10 days I will be on the mower almost daily after the rains:)

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  3. Great ferny photos! The symmetry close-up resembles a buncha lil sticky green grapes. I haven't paid much attention to our wild ones, but they are waking up. You make ferns look so interesting. Spring is a fun fleeting time of rediscovery!! Saw my first hummer yesterday and Oriole today.

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  4. Love the close ups of the unfurling spirals.
    As a kid, we had an area that was full of bracken ferns- we used to pull them up and make arrows out of them when they were mature plants, and play cowboys and Indians. They were tall enough that we could make tunnels through them for escape routes. Fun!

    ReplyDelete

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