Category: Christmas Fern

Christmas Fern

A tough fern often spotted on the trails up here in the mountains. Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), one of the most common ferns in eastern North America which is its native range.

These are called crosiers, or more commonly, fiddleheads. In them I see movement, dance, music. Certainly grace and beauty. I love it in the spring when they are unfurling. It’s happening right now as spring reaches into warmth.

A perennial and evergreen fern that says elegance and charm. Fronds swaying together to the melody in their hearts. But don’t all ferns express that same feeling?

Perennial and evergreen. Takes on the snow and ice of winter like a champ. Like the best of us.

And come spring again is all set for music and dance. Swaying to their own melody. The refrain in their hearts.

Tomorrow is SPRING!

Many of you know that I love winter, my totally, over the top, favorite season. But I also delight in the seasons changing. If the seasons stayed the same, day after day after day after day I wouldn’t be content. I think the world of CHANGE.

Sometimes even Mother Nature just doesn’t want to let go. To let the seasons do their things. And she brings us surprises. These images are from April 15, 2020. I think this was one of those times when she felt, if nothing else, mischievous.

For the winter lover in me, I’m certainly at an advantage being at a slightly higher elevation than those in the lowlands of Virginia. Mountains have their benefits. That elevation helps create snow, when otherwise there might not be any. For sure it was the case on this day.

Blooms of Redbud (Cercis canadensis), and Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida), and new unfurling fronds of Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) all got dumped on with a fair amount of wet snow. But they are native plants and can take what is dished out.

A few hours of sunshine and things were back to normal. And we all were quite content.

One week later, another native plant, Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata), was up and blooming as if it was a perfectly normal spring.