Sensitive Ferns
Ferns add a touch of freshness and elegance to Nova Scotia’s forest floors in late spring. These beautiful green plants can also be found growing along ditches and in rock crevices.
Ferns first appeared on the planet hundreds of millions of years ago and are still thriving. They reproduce by spores or rhizomes and are quite resistant to disease. Ferns provide the surrounding soil with mineral nutrients while the structure of their rhizome root systems reduce soil erosion. The sensitive leaves of these bioindicators are easily damaged by acid rain.
Cinnamon Ferns
Even in Nova Scotia’s temperate climate, ferns can grow to several feet in height. Their leaf litter is so great that mounds are often formed in forest areas where they thrive from year to year.
Polypody Ferns
Moisture, shade and acidic soil attract the growth of both ferns and mosses. Polypody ferns, shown above, crop out of rocks near the salt marsh.
Bracken Ferns
In springtime, many people enjoy eating fiddleheads, the shoots of young ferns. Ostrich ferns are especially tasty. However, the safety of bracken ferns, shown above, is questionable. Its consumption has been implicated in cases of stomach and esophageal cancer, especially in Japan where it is widely eaten. Water from sources near growths of bracken ferns is also considered suspect. (For more information on the toxic effect of bracken ferns on water, see The Fatal Fern).
Northern Beech Ferns
Shaded northern beech ferns, shown above, capture bits of sunlight through gaps in the forest canopy. The effect is enchanting.
In Finland, gathering fern spores on Midsummer’s Eve is believed to give the gatherer the ability to become invisible. Also, if one was to perchance acquire the elusive fern bloom on this special night, one would be able to uncover the treasure hidden beneath the magical lights of the Will o’ the Wisp.
Even if you don’t believe in the magical powers of ferns, or partake of fiddleheads in spring, they nevertheless make a wonderful contribution to the biodiversity of the forest ecosystem.
Wait, wait – I love bracken fern. It would never cross my mind to eat it, but I’ve always thought it was pretty and have actively encouraged its growth in my yard. Right near my well. GACK! Must investigate. Back later. I hope.
It doesn’t grow in my yard, but I’ve seen lots of it along the salt marsh trail. It’s the only type of fern I remember seeing in Northern Ontario.
Gerry, if I can find out anything else about its effect on water, besides ‘The Fatal Fern’ article linked above, I’ll let you know.
For more on bracken poisoning in general, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracken#Poisoning
Delicate plants with a lot of heart as they will grow almost anywhere. I tried to get some unfurling fern photos this Spring. So-so results.
Scott, because they’re often in the shade I found them difficult to photograph too. Luckily there are a great many ferns around here and I managed to find some growing in good lighting.
I would like so totally like to be invisible. That would be like, so like, totally kewl dude !
Sybil, why does that not surprise me? 😉
There’s a place out at camp (where I walk my dogs every day) that has a swath of ferns tucked in under the birch trees in dappled sunlight…..it’s amazingly gorgemous! I keep trying to get a photo that will show them to their best advantage but alas…I’ll just have to tuck a picture in my memory!
Cindy, ferns seem to have a quality that is beyond photographing. They certainly capture the imagination.
Who knew all that about ferns?! I didn’t know that they’ve been around for millions of years?! And that one shouldn’t eat bracken fern?! Gosh…
Reggie, whenever I see many of them together I imagine I’m in an ancient forest. Apparently, after all this time the bracken finally figured out a way to avoid being eaten.
[…] looks especially fresh as a myriad of tiny plants blend together to create a living mosaic. Ferns unfurled add a lushness to the forest floor. Carpets of green wood sorrel replace last autumn’s […]
As I was googleing fern identification I came across your blog and had a delightful distraction from working on my own blog. I didn’t find the ID of the fern however your blog was an unexpected reward. Do you know if the dragon orchid in one of your posts is restricted to your area of the province? I live down on the South Shore near Bridgewater and have never seen it here – and I’ve been in many bogs!
No, I don’t believe the dragon orchid is exclusive to my area which is in Halifax County. It may be a bit warmer in your neck of the woods which may be why you can’t find it there. Also, it is a very small flower and is easily overlooked.
Sorry you weren’t able to ID the fern you were looking for.