Become an authority on Australian ferns
Discover which ferns grow naturally in Australia, how to recognise them, where to find reliable information about them, how to reproduce them, and how to cultivate and use ferns in terrariums, baskets, and landscapes.
This course consists of eight lessons and a special project. This course is intended to provide a thorough examination of Australian Native Fern identification and culture.
- study propagation methods
- Understand classification
- The horticulturally valuable species are highlighted.
- Learn independently and at your own speed.
Comment from ACS Student:
I wondered at first if I could have learned what I needed to know just by reading up on ferns. But I would never have agained the knowledge or interest simply through reading. The assignments have made me look far more closely at what I’m doing.”
Sandra Crump, Australia, Australian Native Ferns course.
Lesson Structure
There are 8 lessons in this course:
- Introduction
- Review of the system of plant identification, general characteristics of the ferns, main groups, information contacts (ie: nurseries, seed, clubs, etc.)
- Culture
- Planting, mulching, watering, pest & disease, feeding, pruning, protection from wind, salt air, etc.
- Propagation
- Methods of propagating ferns. Propagation of selected varieties.
- The Most Commonly Grown Varieties.
- Maidenhairs, tree ferns, stags, elks, common ground ferns.
- Other Important Groups
- Blechnum, Nephrolepis, Pteris, etc.
- Other Varieties
- Hares foot ferns, Bracken, Fans.
- Making the Best Use of Native Ferns
- In containers, in the ground, as indoor plants, growing and showing, growing for profit (to sell the plants or what they produce).
- Special Assignment
- A major project on one genera of ferns.
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school’s tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
Aims
- Talk about the several types of ferns that are endemic to Australia and the system for naming and classifying plants.
- Explain the conditions that ferns need to grow.
- propagate ferns and learn about different propagation techniques and media.
- List some ferns that are frequently grown and easily accessible in nurseries.
- Describe the importance of a few of significant Australian fern species.
- Determine the differences between lesser-known Australian fern species.
- Explain in greater detail the information you learned about a particular fern group through your investigation.
WHAT ARE FERNS?
All “real ferns” belong to the group “Pterophyta,” which includes plants that prefer the shade and are found in damp environments. There are exceptions, however, and fern species can be found in the majority of settings worldwide, with the exception of the polarmost deserts and arctic regions.
Australia is home to about 450 of the world’s 10,000 fern species, which are divided into at least 118 genera. Over 170 species are endemic to New South Wales, 128 to Victoria, 94 to Tasmania, 50 to South Australia, and 65 to Western Australia. More than 300 species are native to Queensland. In Victoria, ferns can be found practically anywhere, even in the arid mallee. Some fern species are incredibly small, while others can grow as tall as 40 feet.
A GLIMPSE OF CLASSIFICATION
| Family | Genera (some) |
| Dicksoniaceae (Tree Ferns) | Dicksonia |
| Cyatheaceae (Tree Ferns) | Cyathea |
| Hymenophyllaceae (Filmy Ferns) | Mecodium, Hymenophyllum |
| Adiantaceae (Maidenhair) | Adiantum, Cheilanthes |
| Dennstaedtiaceae (Ground ferns) | Asplenium,Nephrolepsis, Blechnum, Pteris, Culcita, Pteredium, Hypolepsis |
| Gleicheniaceae | Sticherus (fan), Gleichenia (coral) |
| Schizaeceae (Comb ferns) | Schizeae |
| Elks and stags | Platycerium |
Azolla, Nardoo, and Salvinia are among the aquatic (water-dwelling) ferns that exist.
Experts dispute on a number of fern categories, it should be noted. In many situations, there are merely different viewpoints; there is no right or wrong. At this point, it is OK to use any opinion as long as it is supported by solid arguments. The grouping described above is not exhaustive, nor is it the only way to categorise these ferns.
Australian Native Ferries
The majority of the 450 Australian fern species are located in the moister regions of the continent, with the eastern coast, the south-east, and Tasmania having the highest concentrations. A few species also occur in drier inland regions. They can be found in many different environments, including tropical rainforests (where they frequently grow as epiphytes on trees and rocks), cool southern woods, subalpine regions, exposed coastal places, tropical mangrove swamps, and fissures in rocky outcrops in dry inland regions.
They can be seen growing as terrestrials, aquatics (floating ferns like Azolla), and epiphytes (growing in the ground). They come in a variety of shapes, including tiny filmy ferns like Hymenophyllum, tall species with woody trunks like Cyathea and Dicksonia, spreading plants with enormous colonies like Pteridium, Culcita, and Histiopteris, as well as single tuft-like plants, climbers, and scramblers (Gleichenia).
Australian ferns come in a variety of varieties, some of which are indigenous to tropical areas while others are found in temperate areas.
Ferns do have stems, roots, and leaves, but they don’t have flowers or fruits.
The stem, or rhizome, is usually unimportant and underground. Many leaves (fronds) and wiry roots sprout from the stem.
WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE?
- Nurserymen
- Landscapers
- Land Managers
- Horticulturists
- Gardeners
- Plant Collectors
- Environmentalists
- Anyone with a passion for Australian ferns
- Professionals, Tradesmen and Amateurs
Your knowledge of Australian Ferns, how to grow them, and how to use them in the landscape or as container plants will increase after taking this course. It will create the groundwork for a lifetime of lifelong learning, and for anyone working with plants, it will improve your chances for a successful career and business.
