So I was browsing the local Wal-Mart for an interesting plant to put in a new hanging pot... and I found a really neat looking fern. Unfortuneately, the only thing printed on the plastic pot was" "FERN 4" " So... fern. Pretty vague... by chance I caught some forum post about a "heart fern", and after some searching it is in fact Hemionitis arifolia. Unfortuneately, all I can find are pictures of the plant, I can't find a lick of information about proper care of the poor thing. I'm hoping it kicks back, but it's been losing a few leaves every day now. Though, I'm pretty sure the leaves that are shriveling were already pretty sickly looking... It does have one nice new leaf (frond?) growing, and none of the major leaves are giving up. I'm crossing my fingers, as it's really pretty.

Comments

heavy pie
Tue, 05/03/2005 - 16:23
So dry
I just remembered this morning that it's been FREAKIN' COLD lately, so the furnace has been kicking on regularly. I've moved it so there's no vent pointing right at it and only three feet away. I'll have to see how it fairs now... I should probably move the Ivy too, as that was the reason two out of the three crispified last winter...
Other time... other space.

bruce42
Tue, 05/03/2005 - 21:37
Crispy
Brilliant!
"Your mission is to obey the commands of whoever is able to strike the Master Key of Electricity. That is true I once read in a book that all things are regulated by exact laws of nature" - spam e-mail

heavy pie
Tue, 05/03/2005 - 23:31
Wait a minute..

Hey! I just remembered, it wasn't last winter... wow, those things are older than I thought. The FIRST winter after I bought them, they got baked to nice golden brown. If I'd added cinnamon and flour they'd have had a nice crispy crust... Say, how're your Ivy cuttings doing? Do you need any more? Mine are huge, they can afford to lose a limb or two. They'd bush out more too... always a plus. I'll be starting a new cutting pretty soon anyway, to fill the rest of the pot.
Other time... other space.

bruce42 Tue, 05/03/2005 - 23:49
They didn't make it....
I wasn't able to keep them going thru the winter. I may have to try again. Speaking of baby plants... Mel and I found and contained a few box elder seedlings. I discovered a few more growing in her yard before I left; I'll have to nab those when I go back to DSM this weekend. And speaking of box elder, I am in the process of turning a 9" bowl from a beautifully spalted section of box elder; from that huge chunk I bought at the Egan Sawmill, in fact. I cut blanks for three 7.5" bowls and five 4" bowls from that block as well. Next Thursday, the 12th, Mel and I are attending the Valley Junction Farmers' Market. We are going to sell our wares there, and drive up to the homestead Friday morning.
"Your mission is to obey the commands of whoever is able to strike the Master Key of Electricity. That is true I once read in a book that all things are regulated by exact laws of nature" - spam e-mail

heavy pie
Wed, 05/04/2005 - 15:55
Bad Deal
No es bueno.. we'll have to fix that when you arrive then. Were they potted or were they still rooting in the bag? If you want I can get a bunch started for you. Otherwise, if you do grab some, try starting them in a larger container and give the roots more time to get good 'n huge. The one I started took right off, and is still doing quite nicely. If they were potted, how were you watering them? Lemme know how the sales fare!
Other time... other space.

heavy pie
Fri, 05/06/2005 - 14:31
Worser than before
Moving the pot out of the room didn't help, the rest of the leaves are beginning to curl. I can't tell if it's moisture problems or if it's light conditions. I'm hoping it's light conditions considering the thing is from a bloody Wal-Mart (not ideal fern growing conditions...) Now that it's warm again I'm moving it to the better window and I'll give it a shot of fertilizer this afternoon. The only other thing I can think is that maybe I've overwatered it... though the soil feels about as moist as it was when I first bought it.
Other time... other space.

heavy pie
Mon, 05/09/2005 - 19:49
Crisped
Fetch the violinist... the heart fern has crisped. Dunno if I want to buy another and try again... or try something different. It's really a pretty plant... well, not so much now. But still.. I would like to believe I've got skillz enough to grow a fern from Wal-Mart of all places...
Other time... other space.

bruce42
Tue, 10/18/2005 - 20:09
Growing Tips
I found some growing tips at Dave's Garden; "a website where friends share their triumphs and dilemmas in their gardens and their lives. DG is also a place for gardeners to share seeds or plants with other gardeners. We also specialize in sharing information for the benefit of other gardeners, and we use DG to make our own lives easier." From the data I've found, the desiccation was the killer- it needs constantly moist, not soggy, soil, and moderately humid air. Apparantly, the phylogenetic placement of this plant is debatable. Ranker & Geiger - Molecular evidence for the phylogenetic placement of Asiatic Hemionitis arifolia (Pteridaceae).

Hemionitis L. minimally comprises a Neotropical, monophyletic group of four diploid species (H. palmata, H. levyi, H. rufa, and H. tomentosa) and one allopolyploid (H. pinnatifida). Numerous synapomorphies support this group, including morphological, chemical, and molecular characters. Hemionitis arifolia (N. L. Burm) T. Moore is broadly distributed across southern Asia, into Malaysia and the Philippines. Aside from its striking geographical disjunction from other members of the genus, H. arifolia has several distinctive morphological features, including basal laminar leaf buds, cordate to hastate laminae, and unusual hairs with "ball-and-socket" joints. The distinctive morphology of H. arifolia led one author to describe it as the sole member of a new genus, Parahemionitis Panigrahi. However, the phylogenetic placement of this species with respect to Hemionitis s.s. and other genera of Pteridaceae has remained unresolved. We provide evidence from phylogenetic analysis of rbcL sequences that H. arifolia is, in fact, sister to the Neotropical Hemionitis s.s. clade. We recommend that this distinctive, widespread species be treated in the genus Hemionitis.

And if you want to buy a new specimen online: Logee's

A delightful dwarf fern that's resilient and enduring. Well-suited for terrarium culture or grown as a potted plant in a shady location, the leathery heart-shaped leaves are highlighted by taller, fertile fronds that rise above the tightly held foliage. We've grown this variety for many years and often find it volunteering around the greenhouses.

"Your mission is to obey the commands of whoever is able to strike the Master Key of Electricity... I once read in a book that all things are regulated by exact laws of nature" - SPAM