25 Popular Types of Ferns (with Pictures)

What do you call a plant which has flowerless and seedless plant and duplicate themselves with spores? The answer is a fern. This plant belongs to Pteridophyta family member. Fern use a  unique vessel to aid their water circulation. Ferns offering a matching decoration for your garden with their feather-like leaves. This is the reason why a fern becomes a number one favorite plant for a yard decoration. Ferns are originated in a dense tropical rainforest. Before you decide this plant to be added in your garden, you need to get additional information about the differences between indoor and outdoor ferns through  this article because there are types of fern which is intolerate with sun and shady environment.

Indoor Ferns

1. Staghorn Fern

 

This ferns belongs to Platycerium family. This is a popular type of indoor ferns regarding from its unique feature of the leaves. It’s resembling a horn from a stag. If you want to grow them indoor, make sure that you give this staghorn fern enough dampness and humus-rich medium. Staghorn fern using a fronds antler-like rich in spores for duplicating themselves.

2. Maidenhair Fern

 

These ferns are the member of  Adiantum family. Maidenhair usually grow ashore and it has a delicate fronds and branched like a waxy hand. Maidenhair is a common plant discovered in a moist environments such as lagoon, pond, stream, and waterfall. Maidenhair requires a high humidity of planting media, therefore you need to prepared all of those things if you want to grow this type of fern. Maidenhair is fragile with the direct sunlight, so indirect sunlight is the best option for keeping this plant.

3. Boston Fern

 

This type of fern usually grown in a hanging basket in front of your porch. The ideal temperature for this fern is between 60 to 75 degree of fahrenheit. Boston fern or  Nephrolepis exaltata can be recognized with their dark green leaves and arching feathers. Boston fern can’t stand in a lower temperature, so keep them in the previous temperature as it already mentioned before. Misting this plant for a dense collection of plants are also a good idea.

4. Holly Fern

 

This fern is originated from the Eastern Continent. The reason why I put this fern into Indoor category because Holly ferns blooms in a low sunlight. Therefore it would be a good idea to grow this fern inside your house. The advantage for growing this plant are it’s deer and drought resistant. The most popular types of this fern are Polystichum lonchitis and Cyrtomium falcatum. 

Outdoor Fern

5. Bird’s Nest Fern

 

This fern consist of an Asplenium range of brushes dispersed in the genus of Asplenum serratum, Asplenium nidus, Asplenium australiasicum and Asplenium antiquum. The bird’s nest is an organic fern and it’s need lot of air nutrients and rain dampness. Make sure give this fern sufficient moisture and keep the away from  direct sunlight if you want to add this fern as your additional plant collection.

6. Cinnamon Ferns

 

The Cinnamon fern are rich in sterilized cinnamon-colored fronds and it has green leafy leaves. They need a moist and cool breeze of air to fully grown stage. They didn’t requires a complicated treatment. You just need a trimming, wet dirt and fertilizers. And there you are, a beautiful Cinnamon fern will mesmerizing your outdoor garden.

7. Asparagus Ferns

 

Asparagus ferns are tough and you might want to give attention for this fern because it can also engulfed your whole garden with their branches. The botanical name for this fern are vary, start with Asparagus setaceus, Asparagus aethiopicus, Asparagus plumosus, Asparagus densiflorus and Asparagus virgatus. Don’t be deceived for its good names. this fern are not related with Asparagus. Asparagus fern is an ornamental plants equipped with cladodes stems.

8. Australian Tree Fern

 

The Australian Tree Fern is a unique fern because it’s similiar with a tree from their physical appearance. They need an adequate water and sufficient humidity. You shouldn’t sprinkled over the soil around the follicles. Otherwise, it will die for sure. This fern can grow around 4 metres in width. To grow this fern, you need to give it an indirect sunshine. And don’t forget to give a sufficient fertilizer and insectiside if necessary.

9. Japanese Painted Fern

 

Japanese Painted Fern has a scientific names called Athyrium niponicum. It has a unique blending of silver and green color. This fern loses it’s feathers when the winter comes. Japanese Painted Fern can grown into 7 to 11 inches. If you want to grow this plant, make sure that you have enough damp soil and humidity. Or, you can plant this fern on indirect sunlight situation. Don’t put this ferns in a hot situation of summer otherwise it can burns fronds.

10. Ostrich Ferns

 

The Ostrich Ferns are originated from Canada and America. This ornamental frond have a sterile ostrich tail like. They can grow to 1,5 metres until 3 metres. It has a gradually strong leaves which can grow up to 10-20 inches. They duplicate themselves by using their spores. If you want to add this fern as your garden collection, make sure that you give this fern daily fertilizers, damp dirt, and sufficient watering. That is a highly recommended action for this type of fern.

11. Horsetail Fern

 

Horsetail Fern is a plant with a single genus which is the genus of Equisetum. This genera is covering about 25 species, some of them lived on the land and the other species lived on the swamp. The popular example of Equisetum debile is the Horsetail Fern.

12. Cloverleaf

 

The next kind of fern is cloverleaf. This fern species can be located everywhere. You can found cloverleaf in your garden, lawn or they might be hiding under the rock.  This fern species is considered as a plant with the complete body structure consisting of roots, stem and leaves. The example of this fern is the Cloverleaf. Cloverleaf usually has 4 leaves on each plant. 5 leaves cloverleaf is very rare to be found. That is why, you must be very lucky if you accidentally found Cloverleaf with 5 leaves.

13. Ancient Fern

 

The next species of fern is ancient fern. Most of this species is already vanished but there are 10-13 species which are still existed until today. Most of the ancient fern don’t have leaves on its stem. They only have tiny leaves called microphyl. The ancient fern photosynthesize inside their stem. The example of the ancient fern is Rhynia sp.  

14. Wire Fern

 

Wire Fern or Lycophyta are categorized to be extinct. The member of this division has forked shape in their roots and stem. The shape of this plant resembles the pine conus. Therefore, many people called this species as the ground pine.

15. Adiantum

 

Adiantum is the next popular fern for your outdoor garden. Adiantum reproduce generatively with their spores which is located on the lowest edge of their leaves. Unlike the other ferns, Adiantum is very easy to recognize. The Adiantum leaves are not long in shape.

16. Royal Fern

 

Royal fern (Osmunda regalis) is one of the types of ferns people use as planting mediums for popular flowers, such as orchids. This fern lives near the rivers and bogs with acidic soil, particularly in Asia, Europe, and Africa. Royal fern’s sterile fronds grow in flower-like spreads, which can reach 12 to 16 inches (30-40 cm) broad. Korean royal court’s cooks use this fern in a stir-fry dish called namul.

17. Whisk Fern

 

Whisk fern (Psilotum nudum) is a fernlike plant that has unique thin stems, which resemble chicken’s feet. The plant grows in tropical Africa, South America, North America, Australia, tropical Asia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Japan, and Spain. Whisk fern is unique because it does not have typical vascular plant organs. This plant is a popular garden plant in Japan, and people grow them between decorative rocks. Hawaiian people in the past used this plant’s spores to prevent skin chafing under loincloths.

18. Licorice Fern

 

Licorice fern (Polypodium glycyrrhiza) is a native plant of North America, especially in the western areas. This fern acquired its name from its subterranean stems (rhizomes), which taste like licorice. Various Native American groups chew these stems like snacks, and use them as traditional medicines, such as for coughs and sore throat. These stems can also be brewed into licorice-flavored tea. Licorice fern can grow on rock and wood surfaces, and they prefer mild temperature. Many people love cultivating this fern in gardens.

19. Eagle Fern

 

Eagle fern (Pteridium aquilinium) is a fern species that grows in various regions around the world. It is easy to adapt and grow, especially since its spores are light, although this fern prefers subtropical and temperate regions. Eagle fern is also known as bracken and Eastern brackenfern, and famous for its triangular stems. Because it is quick to adapt, eagle fern has become an invasive species in several areas, such as England. It is a popular ingredient in various Korean dishes, such as namul (stir-fried fern) and gosari (dried fern).

20. West Indian Tree-fern

 

West Indian tree-fern (Cyathea arborea) is an ancient fern plant that manages to survive to this day. These ferns live in the Caribbean, and they grow abundantly in El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico. West Indian tree-fern can grow to 27 feet (9 m) high, and the trunk is 3 to 5 inches thick (7.6 to 12.7 cm). The trunk looks hard, but the inside is soft and pale. The top of the trunk is adorned with circular leaf formation (crown), which consists of around 10 leaves. The young plants have rolled trunks, which slowly unfurl when they grow older.

21. Silver Fern

 

Silver fern (Cyathea dealbata) is a native fern of New Zealand, considered as one of the country’s endearing symbol. The name came from subtle silvery shades on the undersides of the leaves. These ferns grow in subcanopy forests. The young plants love wet hummus, but once they grow well, they can tolerate a slightly dryer condition. Silver ferns have various benefits. Hikers and forest explorers use the silvery leaves as tracks during night excursions. They are also used to make vegetarian-friendly capsules in the pharmacy industry.

22. Chinese Ladder Brake

 

Despite the name, Chinese ladder brake (Pteris vittata) does not just grow in China. This fern is native to tropical Africa, Australia, several Asian regions, and southern Europe. This fern is similar to eagle fern, but the triangle shape is less distinctive. Chinese ladder brake is often seen growing on limestone surface. However, it is also seen growing between concrete cracks or brick walls in urban areas. These ferns are cultivated as garden plants.

23. Giant Fern

 

Giant fern (Angiopteris evecta), native to Malay Peninsula, Indonesia, Polynesia, and northern Australia, is a rare fern with fronds that can grow to 30 feet (9 m) of size. This fern loves warm temperature and moist soil, and it prefers slightly shaded areas. Gardeners love the majestic size of this fern, but the plant has become an invasive species in Jamaica and Hawaii. This plant has difficulties growing with spores, which gives the plant “conservation dependent” status.

24. Man fern

 

Man fern (Dicksonia antartica) is a type of tree fern which “trunk” consists of decaying remains of its former growing parts. This fern is native to Australia, particularly Victoria, coastal New South Wales, Tasmania, and Queensland. It grows to 15 to 16 feet high (4.5 to 5 m), but the largest type can grow to 49 feet (15 m). This tree fern can tolerate dry, alkaline, or acidic soil. This fern is great for landscaping a garden, although you can also plant it in a pot.

 25. Java Fern

 

Java fern (Microsorum ptreropus) is one of the types of ferns that are popular among aquarium owners. This plant can be cultivated in the water or half submerged, and it looks great when floating in the tank. Java fern has several variants, which have different leaf shapes such as “trident”, “lance”, and “needle”. Naturally, they grow on rocks and roots.