Crow Dog Native Ferns and Gardens

Spore Propagation

All ferns at Crow Dog Native Ferns and Gardens are propagated from spores collected from plants both in the Gardens and from fern populations in the Southern Appalachians and Piedmont regions of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. Propagation protocols are designed to facilitate cross fertilization only within species to promote genetic diversity.

The photos on this page represent a generalized view of the spore propagation process, that for most species, requires a 12 month growing period from spores to garden-ready plants. Crow Dog Native Ferns and Gardens offers ferns in 98-cell plug trays (photo 6), four inch pots (photo 8), and 3/4 gallon pots (photo 10).

1 Mature sori of Dryopteris marginalis

2 Sporangia of Dryopteris marginalis ready to dehisce

3 Spores of Osmunda cinnamomea

4 Gametophytes of Onoclea sensibilis at 12 weeks

5 Proto-fronds of Dryopteris goldiana at 24 weeks

6 Plug tray of Dryopteris goldiana at 48 weeks

7 Plug tray sporophyes ready for transplanting to 4" pots

8 8-month 4" sporophytes ready for gallon pots

9 4" pots in unheated greenhouse

10 3/4 gallon ferns most at about 11 months

11 Adiantum pedatum in a garden at 16 months