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Ferns have existed for
nearly 350 million years. They were among the first land plants.
Their
general appearance has changed very little. Some ferns no longer
exist, and others evolved into what we see today--some 10-12,000 species
growing on all of the continents
except Antarctica.
The ferns that
are grown in
South Florida are the subtropical and tropical ferns. There
are
ferns whose climates are cooler and drier, but these ferns, for the
most part, will only grow
in that specific habitat. Many tropical
growers have tried, unsuccessfully, to cultivate many
of these plants,
but because of cellular structure of these plants, they simply are not
suited
to the tropics, as our ferns are not able to grow in northern
climates.
Many ferns today can be
found in various rainforest around the world. To accurately
describe ferns, we place them in categories. One important
category is that of place of origin. Ferns
are classified as
either new world or old world species. The new world species, or
neotropical plants are those that are western hemisphere plants.
The old world species are Asian, African, etc. South Florida is
able to grow both classifications of plants with relative ease.
However, there are some plants that simply will not grow here due to a
variety of reasons. Altitude
plays a significant role in what is
able to grow here. South Florida on average is perhaps
6-8 feet
above sea level. However, some of the plants we enjoy are from
regions that are lowland mountain rainforests.
These plants are
adaptable and will thrive here. It is theorized that plants
collected below
3,000 feet have a better chance of survival than plants
coming from higher altitudes. Soil
type is another important
ingredient to ensure the viability of a fern. Another ingredient
would be temperature. It is not that the ferns won't be able to
tolerate excessive heat
during the day, the problem is that ferns
generally need a break from the heat and this
normally happens with
lowered nighttime temperatures.
Our South Florida nights,
on occasion, will rival the daytime temperature. This however, is
not an impediment to growing ferns from different tropical regions of
the world. Many ferns
do survive and have adapted to our
warm evenings.
South Florida is home to
some spectacular species and today many more are being introduced
through modern collectors. The plants are cultivated from either
actual living material,
divisions, or spores. There does appear to
be a movement to cultivate many species who's habitats are quickly
disappearing.
As the population of the
world expands, unfortunately, there are limited areas for man to
move
into. In some countries the forests are quickly disappearing in
order to make room for development. This in turn means a loss of habitat
for flora and fauna. As the canopy
disappears, so will all of the
understory that depended on the canopy. As the understory
disappears, so will all of the wildlife that in turn relied on it.
Ferns and other plants
are in danger of losing their basic habitats and there is little that
can be done to ensure their survival. While there are regulations
aplenty, true enforcement
is lacking. Also noteworthy would be lack of
education as to what we are losing.
However, the ferns that
are discussed here are ferns that are in cultivation and hopefully
more
will be introduced. It is a big world out there and everyday, as
we venture into
more remote and uninhabited areas, new discoveries are
bound to be made.
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