I went to Chicago this past weekend and visited both the Lincoln Park and Garfield Park Conservatories. I am always drawn to the ferns and especially the unfurling fronds or croziers, also know as fiddleheads. They are just so gorgeous and truly are nature’s works of art! I took a few pictures and wanted to share them with you. It is spring and our plants are waking up and sending out new growth. P.S. Now is the time to start fertilizing and up-potting your plants if they need it.

Brazilian tree fern (Blechnum brasiliense) frond unfurling

Brazilian Tree fern

Fern unfurlling

I love the dark color of the crozier below.

A dark frond which will unfurl and turn green (Tectaria decurrens)

When the bird’s nest fern below starts to unfurl its fronds, they resemble bird’s eggs in a nest, thus the name.

Bird’s nest fern (Asplenium nidus)

Twister fern crozier (Polypodium ‘Green Wave’ )

The fern frond below has what I think is a baby snail crawling on it. What do you think?

Fringed bird’s nest (Asplenium nidus ‘Fimbriatum’)

Rabbit’s foot fern crozier

Neochiropteris superficialis

Austral Gem Fern (Asplenium x ‘Austral Gem’)

This fern below resembles the webbed foot of a duck.

Polypodium

Crozier

Rabbit’s foot fern frond coming with rhizome

The crozier below is my favorite!

I love this one!

It’s as if they are stretching like we do in the morning

I love ferns and I think the fiddleheads or croziers are my favorite part. I even have a fern phone cover. Do you like ferns? Are your plants waking up where you live? I hope so. Happy Spring!