Tree Fern House & Garden Mixed glaucum

These large ferns eventually form real trees reminiscent of the lush forests that reigned over a lost world. They develop a single stem, resembling a trunk, and an umbrella-shaped crown composed of majestic fronds. Bringing together species from the Cyathea and Dicksonia genus, this mix 'Tree Fern House & Garden Mixed' allows for about 25 spectacular ferns. They are fascinating plants, and their sowing is worth attempting. These living fossils are grown in large pots in the shelter of a greenhouse, a veranda, or in open ground, in a rather mild climate. Slightly to moderately hardy, they appreciate humid atmospheres, dim light, as well as humus-rich and fresh soil. Worth discovering.

The tree ferns of the mix 'Tree Fern House & Garden Mixed' are species from the Cyathea and Dicksonia genus. The Dicksonia antartica species is really known to the general public, due to its good hardiness. However, other species are quite easy to acclimate here, with some precautions. Most tree ferns are native to the tropical and subtropical humid areas of the globe. These are flowerless plants, with an archaic mode of reproduction, which have evolved very little over the ages. They already populated vast areas in the heart of dinosaur-filled forests in the Jurassic period, 130 million years ago. Today, they are still found growing in pine forests, often in mountains invaded by fog and drizzle. Dicksonia are true ferns, they are distinguished by a single bud ending a vertical stem, the heart of which is made up of a system of conductive and supportive tissues, often wrapped in covering aerial roots. The fronds are large, with a downy base. Some of them reach 15 m (49 ft 2 in) in height for 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) in span, after many years, as their growth is slow. Cyathea vary greatly in size depending on the species. They also have a single stem, and a crown of fronds whose base is covered with hairs or scales, sometimes spiny. They often remain, even after the fronds have withered, their scar forming an interesting design on the trunk. The leaves of the ferns are often rolled up in a crozier at the beginning of their development.

The mode of reproduction of ferns is very peculiar, it has long been the subject of speculation, probably at the origin of many magical beliefs surrounding ferns. Adult ferns are called sporophytes, they produce on the back of their fronds small sacs called sporangia, filled with spores. From the germination of a spore, a tiny gametophyte, the prothallus, is born, whose sole function is to form gametes: spermatia (male) and oospheres (female). The egg is formed on this prothallus. The embryo resulting from the egg evolves into a new sporophyte. In tree ferns, the first stem perishes when another straight and tall one has developed.

Tree ferns are magnificent plants of humid undergrowth, and enjoy humid climates where frosts are not too marked. They are planted in isolation or in mass, along with Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Fuschias, Astilbes, Heucheras, Petasites, Rodgersias, Lamiums, Carex, or any plant requiring the same cultivation conditions. Grown in large containers, they will form over time sumptuous indoor plants, which will make their breeders proud. Because it is indeed a matter of raising them, in the literal and figurative sense, with patience and method.