Fern Glen
The Fern Glen is a garden devoted to the preservation and enjoyment of native plants; a primary goal is to educate the public about the ecology of native plant communities. Plants indigenous to the northeastern United States grow here in their natural habitats and communities.
When we think of native plants, the image that often comes to mind is that of wildflowers. However, the term “native plants” encompasses more than simply flowers; trees, shrubs, grasses, sedges, ferns, and mosses also fit in the category.
An important concern when obtaining plants for the Glen is their origin. While typical garden plants can be acquired from a local nursery or a catalog, only a small percentage of the plants needed to complete the displays in the Fern Glen are available commercially from ethical growers. (Unethical collecting involves harvesting native plants from wild populations.)
All of the plants you see in the Glen were either ethically purchased from regional nurseries or were started from seeds, spores, or cuttings at Cary Institute.
What is a Fern?
The technical definition of a fern is “a vascular plant with megaphylls that reproduces by spores.” Vascular plants conduct fluids through special bundles in stems and veins in leaves. Megaphylls are leaves with a more complex structure than those of lower vascular plants such as clubmosses and horsetails. The most noticeable characteristics of ferns, however, are that: a) they reproduce by spores instead of seeds; and b) their leaves, or fronds, start coiled up like the scroll of a violin and slowly unfurl as they grow. Hence, the term “fiddleheads” that refers to the uncoiled fronds.
Fern Life Cycle
Fern Glen Map: Key to Beds and Habitats
1. Pond: In addition to aquatic and emergent plants, the pond supports a balanced population of insects and amphibians.
2. Howard Roeller Bed: A variety of native shrubs and wildflowers are displayed here.
3. Clayton Linde Limestone Cobble: This habitat supports plants typically found on limestone rocks or in alkaline soil.
4. Julie Morgan Bed: Featured here are selected plants that thrive in damp to wet partially shaded sites with pH neutral soil.
5. Shale Cobble: Plants that adapt to shallow, slightly acid soil grow here.
6. Fen: A fen is a mostly herbaceous peatland that is fed by mineral rich, aerated water. Bogs, on the other hand, receive nutrients only from the atmosphere. Depending on the calcium content of the water, fens may vary from poor (acidic-low calcium) to rich (alkaline-high calcium). Area 6A is a Poor Fen, dominated by a mat of sphagnum moss and featuring plants that thrive in an acid wetland. The vegetation of a poor fen is often very similar to that of a bog. Area 6B is a Rich Fen that, when completed, will feature wetland plants that require high levels of calcium.
7. Shrub Swamp: This thicket includes shrubs and herbaceous plants that are adapted to wet locations.
8. Hemlock Forest: This forest type typically occurs on cool, northern slopes. The dense evergreen canopy inhibits understory growth. In July 1992 a tornado struck this area, creating gaps in the canopy. These gaps will fill with sun-loving plants, beginning anew the process of forest succession.
9. Deciduous Forest: Sunlight filtered through maples, beeches, and other trees enables some understory growth.
