My experience with ferns up until this past year is dismal. Tragic. Best not to be recounted. Ferns are not like other houseplants; they do not bounce back from underwatering, and I get the feeling they don’t appreciate being in my house at all. Well, fine. Live on the balcony for all I care.

I have found a few ferns that I do better with, which I will talk about in more detail below…the ferns with tiny leaves tend to be harder to keep happy, so buyer beware! (I’m looking at you, Maidenhair Fern! Oh yeah, you’re dead.)

Let’s start with my *whisper* favorite. Yes, yes, Plants…I love you all the same! 😳

Kangaroo Paw Fern

The first time I saw a Kangaroo Paw Fern was at Home Depot while I was shopping with a friend, trying to find some tall, dog-safe, low-light tolerating plants. I’ll wait til you stop laughing to continue…We, of course, did not find any, but I saw a display of KPF in hanging pots and really liked them. I, unfortunately, had made a vow not to buy anything for myself that day, so I walked on by. A few days later, about an hour before we were leaving for a trip, I was seized with an undeniable urge to go get that plant. Can you believe I got to Home Depot and there was only one left!? She was calling to me, apparently.

When I got home from that trip, I realized the fern was too big for its pot. It was rootbound, which means it wouldn’t grow much more and might even start dying. So I split it into 3 separate pots and it took off! The one I keep under my glass table on the balcony grows so much faster than the one I have in my kitchen, I’ve already had to repot it again! (I gave the third one away and have no idea how she’s doing since she never writes.)

It just so happens, almost all of my ferns are in this picture, but more on that later. I picked this patio table specifically because I wanted to put a plant on that shelf and look at it through the glass as I drink my coffee in the morning. KPF loves it there!

Kangaroo Paw Ferns are fascinating because of their variety of leaf shapes, their neat/weird hairy rhizomes, and their adorable little baby fronds. I’m sure there’s a more technical term, but I don’t care. Just look at them 😍

The Kangaroo Paw Fern’s scientific name is Microsorum diversifolium, referring to the different leaf forms. Its common name refers to how big the fronds get, which makes me laugh for some reason. I always try to put myself in the place of the botanists who name plants… “well, I don’t know, Carl, but this frond is as big as a kangaroo’s foot!”

Oh yeah, I forgot I have a few more ferns to talk about. I got a little carried away…

Staghorn Fern

I think Staghorn Ferns are stunning. I love how the antler fronds are slightly fuzzy and really look like antlers…this name was probably a little easier for the botanists. Have you seen one before? My little mini might not ring a bell for you, but look at the second pic down for what they look like when they grow up:

It’s crazy how big Staghorn Ferns can get! I saw one at a garden center that was about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle! It’s my ultimate garden dream to grow one like that. I’m not off to a great start, though. I began with the little start pictured above in a terra cotta pot, and it did fine but didn’t grow at all. After reading about how staghorns are epiphytes (grow by attaching their roots to trees or other plants, not in soil), I made a wall mount for my fern.

I only kept it like this for a couple of months because it was such a pain to water it, I didn’t do it often enough and it started to show. Also, I think where I had it in my bedroom was too low light, so it started reaching really drastically. You can see in the pineapple pot, it’s still leaning but hopefully by giving it more light and rotating it, I can get it to straighten up. You can also see that when I was repotting it this last time, I broke off the only shield frond I had. 😩 Unfortunately, right as it’s starting to improve and grow new fronds, I see that the opening of the pineapple pot isn’t wide enough and I’m going to have to repot it ASAP. Oy, with the poodles already 🤦‍♀️

Boston Fern

This is what I call a Redemption Fern…just kidding, I think it’s a Boston Fern. I don’t really know because it was given to me by my sweet neighbor, Barb. I agreed to keep it because she couldn’t take it with her when she moved, but I was fully expecting it to die as soon as she pulled out of the driveway. It didn’t, so I put it on the balcony and watered it when I thought about it. That was November…and LOOK at it! New fronds popping out all over the place! I think it loves the humidity of Florida air…or maybe ferns just like their space. Maybe they don’t want me talking to them everyday. That’s it! Ferns are introverts. Mystery solved.

The Unidentified Fern

I found these climbing ferns growing in a shady spot near the community garden where I volunteer. I thought they were so interesting because I had never seen them before and they look so delicate and fairy-like until you find the thorns! After visiting the Coconut Casita and seeing some in pots, I decided I would try it out, too. I’ll keep you updated on how this little beauty does and if I ever identify it. Do you know what it is? If so, help a sister out!

♥️🌱😘

~S