What is meant by fronds, fiddleheads and spores?
Ferns really are different from most other plants, with specialized names for their parts. Fern leaves are called fronds, their newly emerging shoots are called fiddleheads and what they produce instead of seeds are called spores. What are the brown parts on my Cinnamon ferns? Those are the spore cases. On some ferns, they are simply rows of rusty brown spots on the back side of the older fronds. Other varieties send up a separate spike covered with spores called a fertile blade. Do ferns work well with other plants? Ferns can be successfully inter-planted with almost all other perennials, or try using them as a backdrop for a bed of impatiens. Are there ferns that will do well in containers? They are beautiful in containers for the growing season and if you put hardy types into the ground after a light frost and mulch them heavily, they will usually winter successfully. Do ferns spread by themselves or do I need to divide them? Most of the ferns Bachman’s sells have a central rhizome.
