Arrowhead Alpines
Ferns 2008

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Note that the woodlanders marked with an * ship either early to mid march or summer dormant.

ADIANTUM CAPILLUS VERNUS MICHIGAN FORM

Adiantum capillus vernus Michigan Form      Price -$15.00

Betty Blake distributed this years ago, it is from a Michigan collection and hardy in zone 5, most forms of southern maidenhair are not, it does not appear to be a hybrid, and is absolutely lovely.

 

*ADIANTUM PEDATUM  MAIDEN HAIR FERN Price  1@ $6.50

One of the most delicate and graceful ferns they increase slowly and seldom need restraint, indeed I can't imagine having too many of them. The fronds magically unfurl atop their shiny black stems to reveal a swirl of unmatched loveliness. A must for every garden, it prefers a little lime but will tolerate a wide range of soils.

 

ASPLENUM PLATYNEURON EBONY SPLEENWORT           Price  1@ $5.50

Compact and graceful ferns of exquisite proportion, they lace cliffs with delicate wiry stems set with small leaflets, the easiest Spleenwort.

 

Asplenum trichomanes  v incisum Price -$12.00

One of the most delicate and graceful ferns, looking for all the world like a tiny Maidenhair fern, but with incised leaves. A classic for interplanting with Ramonda, and Haberlea in shaded walls. Small enough for troughs and one of the easiest rock ferns to grow, it often produces sporlings.

 

*ATHYRIUM FiLIX-FEMINA LADY FERN Price  1@ $6.50

This popular fern is among the loveliest medium tall species. It advances rather rapidly showing off its extremely attractive new growth often with striking red stems. It prefers rather moist shade.

 

Athyrium filix-femina 'Victoriae Selections'        Price  1@ $19.00

A tall selection with excellent dark green color, featuring the much sought after crossed pinnae sitting way up firm and high. This magnificent Lady Fern was selected by John Mickel. It features exceptionally well-developed crossing and a bit of cresting especially on younger plants, utterly fantastic, an exceptionally sexy fern.

 

Athyrium niponicum pictum Price  1@ $19.00

The ever-popular Japanese Painted Fern, well known for the elegant blending of silver and red-purple in the fronds. Among the general public this is probably the most in demand fern here at the nursery. These are spore grown with some fantastic color forms, color is somewhat dependant upon light levels; it will tolerate a surprising amount of sun.

 

Athyrium niponicum pictum dwarf Price  1@ $19.00

As above but smaller, this strain seems to be a true genetic dwarf.

 

ATHYRIUM X 'GHOST' .......... Price  1@ $19.00

A sterile hybrid between Lady and Painted, tissue cultured from Mickel’s (Ferns for American Gardens) collection; we acquired this at the urging of Dr. Storer; Mickel was formerly a student of Storer's and we are easy. This is a long complicated tale involving Grebes, Berkley, Wagner, chemistry, Mickel and Dryopteris x dowellii which we may eventually write up in our best James Burke Connections style and post at ArrowheadAlpines.com. In any event, you want Ghost for the 2-3 foot stunning silvery white fronds; this ranks among the very best.

 

Blechnum Penna-mariana ssp alpina    Price  1@ $15.00

This is a neat little evergreen fern native to Chile as well as Australia and New Zealand, the hardiest forms are Andean, and this form is definitely hardy here. Only a couple of inches tall it is lovely in a trough or a moist spot in the rock garden

 

Cystopteris bulbifera Price  1@ $15.00

Bulblet bladder fern, this native fern is often seen on limestone in the northeast and mid west but does not demand it, it is fairly easy in cultivation and propagates by means of the bulblets on the lower surface of the 1.5’-3’ arching fronds.

 

*DENNSTAEDTIA PUNCTILOBA HAYSENTED FERN           Price  1@ $5.50

Prefers dry partly shaded woods and open pastures. It spreads rapidly and is difficult to eradicate, covering whole hillsides to the exclusion of everything else…..You have been warned. Actually, its lovely on a boulder-strewn hillside, mixing well with weathered rocks and a great choice if you are looking for indestructible.

 

Diplazium (Athyrium) pycnocarpon  Glade Fern             Price  1@ $12.00

A largely tropical genus of 400 species closely related to Athyrium, Diplazium pycnocarpon is one of the few temperate species native to moist woodlands in the eastern United States. It is also commonly known as Narrow Leafed Spleenwort or Tennessee Ostrich fern, elegant narrow once pinnate fronds can reach 3 ˝’ if happy, an attractive fern that spreads slowly and is generally easy to cultivate.

 

*DRYOPTERIS CARTHUSIANA (SPINULOSA) TOOTHED WOOD              1@ $6.50

Similar to Leather Wood but with more finely toothed and dissected leaves. I prefer it to Leather Wood but both make fine, carefree garden plants, and are great for general landscape use.

 

*DRYOPTERIS FILIX MAS MALE FERN Price  1@ $6.50

Got Lady Ferns? Perhaps they're lonely? I bet they would like a few Male Ferns to show off for. This widespread and variable fern is a classic and is circumpolar in distribution, and almost too well known to need description. Plants grow 2-3 feet tall, and are almost evergreen and provide striking accent when placed near a fallen log or stump.

 

DRYOPTERIS FiLIX-MAS 'CRISTATA MARTINSDALE'        Price  1@ $19.00

A selected form of the above, with small crests and a slight upward curve to the frond apex ending in a pronounced terminal crest; Martinsdale is considered by many to be among the best of the crested forms. These are from tissue culture and very uniform.

 

Dryopteris filix-mas 'Linearis' Price  1@ $19.00

A tall variety with extremely narrow skeleton like leathery fronds, it is so skinny that the sori are visible from above; very strange.

 

*DRYOPTERIS GOLDEANA GOLDIES FERN     Price  1@ $12.00

One of the largest wood ferns this imposing species can be up to 4' tall. We are delighted to be able to offer this seldom-available species.

 

*DRYOPTERIS MARGINALIS LEATHER WOOD FERN            1@ $6.50

The most evergreen of our native Dryopteris, easily identified by the sori that sit on the pinnule margins, with handsome leathery glaucous green fronds, it prefers deep rocky pockets of leaf mould, but it will endure some dryness. A good choice for cut fronds it is the epitome of what most people want in a fern. I love the crowns in early spring before the crosiers start to unfurl, sitting there in an inward pointing ring of teeth, surrounded by the outward pointing spokes of last years stems (sensors to warn of approaching prey), the creature at the bottom of Jabba’s sand pit comes to mind.

 

DRYOPTERIS PYCNOPTEROIDES Price  1@ $19.00

Here’s one you don’t see everyday, and probably can’t pronounce; From Mickel of course, well actually its from Japan via Mickel but no matter, this 1-2’ evergreen gem features unique pinnate-pinnatifed glossy fronds with pairs of long narrow pinnae.

 

Dryopteris tokyoensis Price  1@ $19.00

A favorite of Mickel’s with stiffly erect narrow fronds, slow to increase with a neat refined look.

 

DRYOPTERIS VILLARII (SUBMONTANA) Price  1@ $19.00

A lime-loving European species, the gray green fronds are covered on both surfaces with abundant yellowish glands that emit a wonderful balsam fragrance when bruised. A small to medium sized deciduous species

 

Dryopteris x remota .... Price  1@ $19.00

 A rare naturally occurring hybrid between D. affinus x D. expansa, remota is impressive looking with a shaggy golden-scaled stipe and delicately cut blade, its intermediate between the parents and fertile, and will spore around if happy.

 

Matteuccia struthiopteris Price  1@ $15.00

The fiddleheads are great dipped in hollandaise sauce, other than that, it is a menace, rapidly overtaking gardens and growing in some forms to Dicksonia proportions, reaching 9’ tall with a foot high woody trunk, although 6’ is more common.

 

*OSMUNDA CLAYTONIA   INTERUPTED FERN           Price  1@ $8.00

Similar to Cinnamon Fern but with broader fronds, the ephemeral fertile pinnae occur halfway up the frond and create an interruption when they fall off in mid summer, hence the name. The fronds emerge in a spreading vase form to 5' tall.

 

*OSMUNDA CINNAMONEA CINNAMON FERN              Price  1@ $6.50

Stately 3' - 5’ plants, it likes moist shady places and even waterlogged sites but dislikes alkaline soils, fertile fronds are cinnamon brown hence the name, stunning en-masse.

 

*OSMUNDA REGALIS ROYAL FERN Price  1@ $6.50

A large species that prefers to dangle its toes in the water, growing to over 6' tall and occasionally as much as 10’; mass plantings have an almost prehistoric nature, just the thing for landscaping Komodo dragon pens.

 

*POLYPODY VIRGINIANUM . Price  1@ $5.50

At its best growing on rotting moss covered logs, or rocks, we have them in a woodland trough with trilliums, Shortia, and Cypripedium, and they are outstanding.

 

*POLYSTICHUM ACROSTICHOIDES CHRISTMAS FERN   Price  1@ $6.50

Perhaps the best fern for growing amongst flowers, the leathery brilliant evergreen fronds and neat upright rosettes, 12" tall are a favorite of mine. Sturdy but non-invasive it prefers alkaline soil but does well on rock and sand.

 

POLYSTICHUM SETIFERUM 'PLUMOSOMULTILOBUM'    Price  1@ $15.00

The perfect landscape fern for the shady side of your local nuclear power plant. You would be hard pressed to find a more mutant looking fern. The bizarre three-dimensional layered fronds are strange as hell; you need this.

 

POLYSTICHUM SETIFERUM 'ROTUNDATUM CRISTATUM'         Price  1@ $15.00

A strong growing upright selection with magnificent ram’s-head cresting at the ends of the fronds and bulbils scattered along the rachis. Setiferum has long been one of my favorite ferns and this is the best crested-form of setiferum I’ve seen to date.

 

Woodsia obtusa ................ Price  1@ $15.00

A really large woody, wait that’s Woodsia, well both have a certain attraction but of the 25 or so species of Woodsia, (in the Woodsiacaea) this classic native fern ranks as one of the largest, a veritable John Holms of Woodsias. It is also one of the easiest and a welcome addition to any fern collection

 

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Arrowhead Alpines Bob & Brigitta Stewart, Owners
PO Box 857 1310 N. Gregory Road Fowlerville, MI 48836
Phone: 517-223-3581 Fax: 517-223-8750

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