In Good Thyme - by Mariana Graham

A few weeks ago I was queried by Dick Caylor of Oak Harbor, who wanted to know if there were any ferns that would do well in a sunny location. For the answer I turned to fern fancier John Mello, a member of the Hardy Fern Foundation as well as the Coupeville Garden Club.

Mello recommended a half dozen ferns that would do well in Whidbey Island's sunnier spots. They include the many varieties of Male Fern (Dryopteris filix-mas) an easy-to-grow, sun-tolerant fern that may retain its fronds through the winter. Ostrich Fern (Mattucia struthiopteris) is a deciduous fern that can tolerate some sun but needs constant moisture and may turn brown during our dry summers. Deer Fern (Blechnum spicant) is an evergreen that will grow in sun if it gets sufficient moisture. The creeping Little Hardy Fern (Blechnum penna-marina) is another option, as is the Golden-Scaled Male Fern (Dryopteris affinis).

Probably the easiest to grow - and obtain - is the handsome, hardy, native Sword Fern (Polystichym munitum). The common denominator seems to be that these ferns will abide sun, but they all need moisture to stay green through the summer months.
An exception to this rule is the sun and drought-tolerant Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum). Sometimes called Brake Fern, it's found throughout the world and is plentiful in the Pacific Northwest. Our Western Bracken Fern is often seen growing in clear cuts, burned-over areas and fallow fields where the soil pH is acidic or neutral. Its lacy fronds grow from 1-1/2 to six feet tall, and in the fall, are distinguished by gold, orange, and reddish coloration.
It reproduces both by spores and underground rhizomes that, I know from personal experience, can be maddeningly aggressive in a garden setting.

Bracken Fern fronds are carcinogenic and contain cyanide compounds deadly to cattle and horses. Although indigenous people have used the starchy rhizomes as a food source, it probably isn't a good idea to ingest any part of the plant.
When I lived in Alaska, each spring my neighbors would collect Ostrich Fern fiddleheads, the tightly coiled, undeveloped fronds of the emerging plants. They considered them a delicacy, parboiled and eaten topped with melted butter and a little salt. These folks were able to distinguish the Ostrich Fern from the poisonous Bracken Fern, which looks quite similar. If you're a fiddlehead connoisseur, be sure you can tell the difference. A few Bracken Fern fiddleheads won't kill you, but the effect is cumulative and may increase your risk of eventually developing cancer. Bracken fiddleheads have been eaten as a vegetable in Japan for centuries, but scientists there now attribute a high incidence of stomach cancer to consumption of this fern.
Ferns, like the dreaded horsetail (Equisetum), have been around since the era of the dinosaur. The oldest fern fossils are thought to be about 370 million years old. Ferns don't flower; they reproduce by spores and rhizomes rather than seeds. There are thousands of species of ferns throughout the world, thriving in environments ranging from snowy mountaintops to arid deserts.

If you're fascinated by ferns, you're in good company. You can find other fern-frondly folks through the Hardy Fern Foundation, a national organization with headquarters here in Washington. Its primary study garden is at the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden in Federal Way. For more information on this organization, contact the Hardy Fern Foundation, Box 166, Medina, WA 98039-0166, or www.hardyfern.org. On the more academic side, there's the American Fern Society, 326 West St. NW, Vienna, VA 22180, attn: Dr. David Lellinger.

If you're simply interested in a quick read about ferns and perhaps purchasing some for your garden, meet Judith Jones, fern propagator and proprietor of Fancy Fronds Nursery in Gold Bar. The nursery is open by appointment only, (360) 793-1472. Ms. Jones earned a prestigious award for her display at last spring's Northwest Flower and Garden Show, and has an interesting and helpful web site and on-line store, www.fancyfronds.com.
OLDIES BUT GOODIES
I often get requests for copies of past columns. Every column I've written since April 2000 is available on the Washington State University Extension website, www.island.wsu.edu. Click on my name for the most current column, then on "more articles" for a list of past columns by date and title. Click and print the ones that interest you.

Garden questions or comments? Call 675-6611, e-mail wnt@whidbey.net. Mariana Graham is a Master Gardener and member of Garden Writers Association of America.

MASTER GARDENER CLINICS (click on picture)
Master Gardener plant clinics are being held at various Island locations throughout the summer. On the North end, bring questions and plant samples to The Greenhouse Nursery each Saturday in July from 9 a.m. to noon, Cenex on Aug. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or the Navy Exchange Garden Shop June 30th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In Central Whidbey, it's at the Coupeville Farmers Market each Saturday through the end of July from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. South end clinics include Freeland Ace Hardware from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 23, July 28, Aug. 25 and Sept. 22. You can also find Master Gardeners at South Whidbey Tilth on July 7, Aug. 4, and Sept. 1 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Clinics are held at Bayview Farm and Garden June 30th, July 7, 14, 21, 28; Aug. 4, 11, 18 and 25. Clinics may be scheduled at other locations when volunteers and resource materials are available. 'Can't make it to a plant clinic? Call the Master Gardener hotline (360) 679-7327 each Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through the end of September.