Black and white photo of ferns reflected in a still pool
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Gallery: spreading fern-fronds

Only spread a fern-frond over a man’s head and worldly cares are cast out, and freedom and beauty and peace come in

John Muir

There is something very intriguing about ferns. Almost prehistoric in nature, it is easy when among them to imagine dinosaurs walking the earth. Unsurprising perhaps, as these often-beautiful plants actually predate those dinosaurs!

Denzil’s as-always informative Nature Photo challenge post this week tells us that there are fossil records of ferns dating back more than 360 million years. He also explains that ferns do not produce seeds or flowers but rather reproduce via spores. They can be found almost everywhere in the world but in the greatest numbers and diversity in the tropics. And they live in a wide variety of habitats, from high mountains to dry deserts to wetlands. But most favour one of four environments: shady forests, crevices in rocks, acid bogs and swamps, and on the trees of rainforests where many grow as epiphytes.

His photos of ferns are in shades of lush green. But because the shapes of ferns lend themselves so well to patterns of light and shade and to texture, I’ve chosen to edit mine with Silver Efex Pro to share with Leanne’s Monochrome Madness challenge too.

My images are a mix of tropical ferns seen mostly in the rain and cloud forests of Costa Rica, and the bracken that grows in many places here in the UK, with a few other locations thrown in too. My feature photo was taken at the Bio Habitat Hotel, Armenia, Colombia, and has already appeared in its colour version in my February Changing Seasons post.

Black and white photo of ferns overhead

Tree fern in the cloud forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica


Black and white photo of ferns overhead

More tree ferns in the cloud forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica


Black and white photo of fern fronds opening

Fern fronds opening, Monteverde cloud forest, Costa Rica


Fern fronds opening, Selvatura Park, Costa Rica

Black and white photo of fern fronds opening

Black and white photo of fern frond opening

Another fern frond opening in Selvatura Park, Costa Rica


Growing in a pot in the Barrio Lastarria area of Santiago, Chile

Black and white photo of thin stem with fern leaves at the top

Black and white photo of delicate fern

In the Olympic National Park, WA


Black and white photo of fern

Also in the Olympic National Park, WA


Black and white photo of fern leaf

In Plessey Woods, Northumberland


Black and white photo of fern leaf

Another from Plessey Woods, Northumberland


Black and white photo of ferns

At Brimham Rocks, Yorkshire


Black and white photo of ferns on a roof

Bracken fronds on a lichen-covered roof at Fountains Abbey, Yorkshire

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