{"id":16828,"date":"2025-09-03T12:23:21","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T19:23:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/?post_type=book&p=16828"},"modified":"2025-09-03T13:58:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T20:58:00","slug":"ferns-lessons-in-survival-from-earths-most-adaptable-plants","status":"publish","type":"book","link":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/book\/ferns-lessons-in-survival-from-earths-most-adaptable-plants\/","title":{"rendered":"Ferns: Lessons in survival from Earth’s most adaptable plants"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Miller Library has a very large collection of books on ferns<\/a>, reflecting the intense interest in these plants by area gardeners, especially members of the Hardy Fern Foundation<\/a>, an international society based in Seattle.\u00a0 However, these books mostly describe the aesthetics of ferns and the growing requirements in temperate, sufficiently moist gardens.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cFerns: Lessons in survival from Earth\u2019s most adaptable plants\u201d by Fay-Wei Li and Jacob S. Suissa and illustrated by Laura Silburn takes a different approach.\u00a0 This is a study of the impressive evolutionary and adaptability history of these plants, that can be found throughout the world in almost every climate and ecosystem.<\/p>\n

\u201cFerns have learned how to climb, creep, and swim their way across our planet.\u00a0 They have formed intimate relationships with animals, fed societies, and have wreaked havoc on ecosystems.\u201d<\/p>\n

How did they do this?\u00a0 By evolving in ways to survive, even while flowering plants became dominant.\u00a0 This is why many are adapted to shade, being better able to use the limited light found under large trees than most other vascular plants.<\/p>\n

In dry, desert climates, ferns use various strategies to survive.\u00a0 Some do this by various means of reflecting sunlight away.\u00a0 Especially amazing are those are desiccation-tolerant \u2013 able to lose almost all internal water, yet revive when water becomes available again.<\/p>\n

Few plants are used as mascots for sports teams.\u00a0 But the All Blacks, a powerhouse rugby team from New Zealand, have discovered the strength of these remarkable plants by using the silver fern (Alsophila tricolor<\/em>) as their insignia. \u00a0\u201cThe opposing team surely cowers in fear at the terrifying frond.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reviewed by Brian Thompson on August 2, 2025<\/p>\n

Excerpted from The Leaflet for Scholars<\/em>, Volume 12, Issue 9, September 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Miller Library has a very large collection of books on ferns, reflecting the intense interest in these plants by area gardeners, especially members of the Hardy Fern Foundation, an international society based in Seattle.\u00a0 However, these books mostly describe the aesthetics of ferns and the growing requirements in temperate, sufficiently moist gardens. \u201cFerns: Lessons in survival from Earth\u2019s most adaptable plants\u201d by Fay-Wei Li and Jacob S. Suissa and illustrated by Laura Silburn takes a different approach.\u00a0 This is…<\/p>\n

Continue reading Ferns: Lessons in survival from Earth’s most adaptable plants<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","keyword":[],"class_list":["post-16828","book","type-book","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/book\/16828"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/book"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/book"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"keyword","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/hortlib\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/keyword?post=16828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}