House of Plants, Part Seven: Ferns, Ferns, Ferns

After passing through sugar, we made our way back into the Palm House to enter the center Fern House.



Ferns

It feels like entering the past. According to the Wikipedia entry, ferns appeared in the fossil record about 360 million years ago, but many of the current families didn't appear until about 145 million years ago. Perhaps it's that timing, but I see ferns and think of some warm, wet land, dominated by dinosaurs. Still while my conception might not be entirely accurate, looking at ferns does make feel connected to a larger history.



Leaves Spreading

Warm, humid, moss growing, ferns seem to thrive in some of most marginal environments, including swamps, on the planet. While vascular, ferns differ from other plants, like seed-bearing and flowering, in that they reproduce through the use of spores.



In the Light of Their Niche


Roots of the Matter

Sandra and I paused, sitting down on a bench, to enjoy the moment. Particularly with everything else going on in a life, it's nice to enjoy the moment.



At the Edge and Reflecting