A captivating little fern found throughout Florida, resurrection fern is named for its ability to transform withered brown tangles into vibrant green fronds after a rain. The small fronds are variable – these are about 4 to 6 inches long, including the stem.
These fronds were found on the ground, I’m not sure if they were dropped there by birds, squirrels, or a landscaping crew. Normally they grow on the rough bark of trees such as oaks or cypress, either on the sides of the trunk or higher up in the canopy.
Below is a watercolor sketch of a patch of resurrection fern I did two years ago, showing how thick it can grow. The fern does not hurt the tree it lives on, but gets nutrients from the air, much like other epiphytyes.
You can click on the images above to view them larger on my Flickr photostream.
Lovely pages, Elizabeth....the leaf print came out very well. We have a resurrection fern here in Australia but I'm not sure if it's the same variety.
ReplyDeleteThank you Serena! How fascinating that you have a similar type of fern. I marvel sometimes at alll the different ways plants show up on different continents.
ReplyDeleteI have a photo that looks remarkably like your watercolor sketch of the ferns on the tree! I didn't know they were called resurrection ferns...good to know. Beautiful drawing and painting.
ReplyDeleteHello Kathy, and thank you for your kind words! I have a photo of this tree as well as part of my reference materials for the future - it was taken on one of the trails at Koreshan State Park. Wouldn't it be amazing if we both took photos of the same tree?!
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