Trampoline fern update

Last year I wrote a blog post on a fern that appeared under my trampoline.  It appeared by itself, I dug up a little one to try an protect in my greenhouse where it was eaten by rats or mice.  There were a few others under the trampoline, so I left them there and watered them.  They have grown a lot.

I don't know a lot about ferns, I currently don't even know the Genus of these ferns.  I am hoping a fern expert will point me in the right direction.  

Baby trampoline fern - this one did not survive

I try to water these ferns over summer when it's very dry.  I put bricks around the trampoline ferns.  These protect them from accidentally being mown over summer, and provide slight shelter from frosts. 

I pull out the grass and weeds around them when I remember.  There is too much shade under the trampoline for the grass to do well, so pulling out is usually pretty easy.

trampoline ferns protected by bricks

I had brought home some fertile fronds from tree ferns, and hoped to grow some sporelings.  Originally I hoped these ferns may have come from those spores.

The base of the fern was not looking hairy enough for any species of tree fern I am familiar with.  I am not familiar with baby tree ferns, so hadn't ruled out anything based on that.

base of ferns

base of fronds not very hairy

Still young, but growing

These ferns then started to spread.  They are not tree ferns.  

They are sending out above soil runners.  The runners are relatively thick, and sometimes they appear to branch a little.

I had hoped these were baby tree ferns that grew from spore.  The runners has shown this is not the case.  That's too bad, but it is what it is. 

 

Fern runners

Spreading by thick runners

The trampoline ferns have started to produce fertile fronds.  The shape and position of the sporangia should help identify the species.

Fertile fronds

If not tree ferns, I had hoped they could be hen and chicken ferns (Asplenium bulbiferum).  The runners and the lack of plantlets on the fronds indicates that it is unlikely to be hen and chicken ferns. 

Winter frosts will be here soon, the ferns will likely be burned down a lot but hopefully they will survive.  They survived last winter when they were smaller, this year they are larger and stronger, and will hopefully survive even if they sustain some frost damage.

Trampoline fern fronds

I like these little ferns.  Presumably these arrived on the wind as spores.  I don't know if they are a native species, or if they are exotic.  They burn back badly in the frosts, and need protection from sun, which does not help me narrow anything down very much.  

Hopefully one day I work out what species they are.  After winter passes, I will try to dig up some runners and grow them in other areas, but for now they can sit under the trampoline and slowly grow larger.