Ferns, as you should be aware if you’re a regular reader of this blog, are the coolest plants in the world. But if you want to grow the coolest of the coolest plants, grow the Hart’s Tongue Fern.
Image by tomopteris
This lovely little shade-loving plant starts the year with a crowd of tight silvery fiddleheads which slowly unfurl to flat strappy leaves under a foot long. This fern loves to flourish in shady nooks and crannies: under taps, in the shade of a stone wall, next to streams.
Plant wherever you can and a mulch of leaf mould once a year. Cool and low-maintenance. That’s the F&F way.
Image copyright passitonfromthemill
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linda penney
What a lovely fern will surly try and by one if you can or dose it come in seed form to sow then plant out?
good read as allways
happy gardening from Linda
F&F
Not sure if you can get seeds, although once you have it, it does like to seed itself everywhere. Have a look at Gardening Express: I’ve just ordered a load from there.
anoushka
Hi there
I have some of these in my garden, but they aren’t looking anything like as lovely as yours in your beautiful photos! They are graowing, and have grown pretty big, but they always get pale spots which then become dry brown spots, and then holes disfiguring whole leaves. Most of the leaves have this. What is it and how do I treat it? I’d really appreciate some tips.
F&F
Hi anoushka, is your fern in a pot in the sun by any chance? It sounds as though it might be stressed from dry roots. Let me know more details and I might be able to help.
anoushka
hi there! thanks.
some are in pots, but one is in the ground, and they all have this same problem. could it be some fungal thing?
the one in the soil is in a shady, wet area and it never looks great. we have very heavy, clay soil that is very wet and dries hard. that one was bought and planted in the garden.
the ones in pots are ones i found in the alley next to our garden growing in the wall. they were miniscule, so i got them out, with their roots, and potted them up in pots in normal potting compost with sand added. i placed the pots in a shady area in our garden where i had found another baby one growing (also in a wall – that was another one i potted up).
i would expect all the baby ones i found and potted up grew from spores carried on the wind from the bought-in one in the soil.
i also have one normal looking fern (seperated leaves type) that i found growing in the wall and potted up and put in the same place. that has grown big and looks healthy.
the problem with the hart’s tongue ones is they have these pale spots that go brown (even streaks going horizontally) and dry and crispy and then turn into holes.
i knew there was something wrong, but now i’ve seen your phtos i realise just how bad my ones look!
Kevin Collins
Hi, could you possibly advise me on if you think it is possible to keep harts tongue ferns in the house or are they strictly an outdoor fern? Any information would be appreciated.
Regards
Kevin Collins