Winter is when many Florida plants become dormant and lose their leaves until spring. In contrast, most of our ferns remain a vibrant green through the winter. This is in part because ferns are plants that live in moist environments and the water buffers them from the cold. A winter visit to a marsh, swamp, or other wetland can be refreshing on a cold winter day in south Florida. While other plants lose their leaves, ferns generally have a more intimate contact with their wet environment. Fern diversity in wet areas can be spectacular – each species occupying a somewhat unique niche, thus minimizing competition with other species.
Shoestring Ferns do especially well in the bases of Cabbage Palm fronds because water flows down whatever is left of the stem of a palm frond and moist organic matter accumulates there, providing Shoestring Fern with a moist and nutrient-rich home. Goldfoot Fern also takes advantage of Cabbage Palm fronds, but more often grows on the trunk of a large tree that is standing in water.
Resurrection Fern also requires a moist environment and is usually found on horizontal limbs that are higher – thus avoiding competition. Higher limbs dry quicker, but Resurrection Fern copes with that by becoming dormant until moisture returns.
Old World Climbing Fern requires a moist environment, but grows rapidly as it climbs towards the light – away from other ferns. In doing so, it blocks the sunlight needed by a tree, often killing the tree or shrub it is growing on.