Creature Feature – Long Live the Fern

Whether in springtime as their spiraled fiddleheads begin to unfurl, or in mid-summer, standing shoulder-to-shoulder and dressed in lush, plumed greenery, there’s just something timelessly elegant about ferns. Maybe that’s because ferns have been growing on Earth longer than flowers and trees and certainly well before mankind. Imagine this: the Royal Fern Family—the oldest lineage of ferns in our region—emerged 200 million years ago!

Since then, ferns have evolved in ways that secured their long-lasting tenure on Earth. For example, certain ferns release hardy spores that get carried on the wind and can remain viable for decades; have a unique light receptor that facilitates photosynthesis even in deep shade; and are drought and flood resistant. Such qualities have enabled ferns to endure through the ages despite significant changes in their environment.

Consider how, when an asteroid crashed into the Earth 65 million years ago, ferns were able to survive while 75 percent of all living things went extinct – including earth-bound dinosaurs. Ferns were the first plants to begin poking through the rubble; and for the next 1,000 years or more, they thrived. This has led scientists to believe that ferns are able to adapt and thrive in the wake of huge disturbances, even cataclysmic disasters. In fact, over 10,000 species of ferns have evolved since the asteroid event. 

Ferns often grow in disturbed, poor quality soil. As they establish, their communities provide food and shelter for multitudes of insects, which in turn attract birds and other wildlife. Songbirds, such as white-throated sparrows, palm warblers, and golden-crowned kinglets, also gather nesting materials from ferns. Over time, generations of ferns produce organic, nitrogen-rich detritus, insulate and stabilize the ground, and help retain moisture in the soil – ultimately transforming the ecosystem into one that can support other plants and animals.

This spring and summer, as you take in the beauty of New York’s southern hills region, take a moment to appreciate how today’s ferns—in keeping with their ancient “royal lineage”—continue to patiently prepare the earth for future biodiversity. “Long live the fern!”

Article & photo by Margie Manthey