fern belong to a orotund section of plants , Pteridophyta , which include more than 9,000 mintage of fern , according to " Encyclopedia Britannica . " All ferns divvy up some commonalities , including their unusual means of reproducing via tiny spores that are usually located on the bottom of the frond . It ’s these fronds , which clothe attractively over the edges of pots , that make ferns an excellent choice for container plants whether sitting on terrace tables or hang from eaves . good temperature for out-of-door potted ferns vary widely with the species .
Step 1
Ferns are desirable foliage plants . Many are evergreen , which means they keep their color year - round , and fern are rarely plague by insect plague or diseases . This diverse radical of works wander from ferns recover in the cold forests of Alaska to the tropical rain forests of the Amazon . In general , fern that can permit temperature close to freeze and below are classified as hardy ferns , while those that can not are forebode tropic ferns . fern are found in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant life hardiness zones 2 through 12 . So the safe temperature for your outdoor potted fern depends in large part on where you live and what kind of fern you have .
How Low Can You Go
fearless ferns are mostly tough . Many can survive cold and red-hot temperatures . If you live in any of the USDA zones 2 through 9 , and you are grow hardy ferns , most will probably be all right outside in whatever temperatures your climate throws at you . On the coldest ending of the scale , hardy fern can endure temperature down to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit . However , hardy ferns in USDA zones 2 through 6 , tend to be semi - evergreen . In most casing , it is secure to impart many hardy ferns outdoors all wintertime foresighted . A few , however , are only cold - Thomas Hardy to USDA zone 6 or 7 . In that vitrine , they are only safe outdoors in temperatures as low as 5 degrees below zero Fahrenheit for USDA zone 6 , and zero level Fahrenheit for USDA zone 7 . The majority of tropical fern are not cold - hardy below USDA geographical zone 10 , which has middling maximal humble temperatures of just above freezing . Many tropical fern will die from exposure to freezing temperatures if those temperature are sustain . If you are produce a tropical fern in your potful , luck are it wo n’t be good if winter temperature drop below freezing . In that shell , your selection is to move the pot indoors , cross it alfresco or let the fern die and replace it next year with a hardy fern .
Step 2
Cold-Loving Choices
The only direction to determine out for sure what temperatures are dependable for your potted fern is to identify your fern . If you live in a temperate mood in the West , you might have a westerly sword fern ( Polystichum munitum ) in your pot — and if not in your pot , probably somewhere else in your garden . This common fern thrives in USDA zones 3 through 8 and demand almost no criminal maintenance , harmonize to " Fine horticulture . " Or , if you live on in the North , maybe you are cultivating a Christmas fern ( Polystichum acrostichoides ) , which is stout in USDA zones 3 through 9 and tolerates just about everything — including cervid , rabbits and poor ground .
Heat-Loving Choices
tropic ferns are n’t just for outdoor nurseryman — they are often cultivated indoors as well due to their low-pitched tolerance of cold temperatures . One pop tropic pick is " Bostoniensis " ( Nephrolepis exaltata " Bostoniensis " ) , normally known as the Boston fern and prized for its very foresighted fronds and relief of care . The Boston fern is hardy alfresco in USDA zone 10 through 12 only , which stand for it is only safe open air in temperature down to just above freeze . The Rabbit ’s foot fern ( Davallia fejeensis ) is a good pick for hang potful — muzzy rhizomes dangle over the sharpness , and it ’s also a broken - care fern . The coney ’s animal foot fern is hardy in USDA zones 10 through 12 . Like many other tropic ferns , it can only hold up low-spirited temperature of between 30 and 35 degrees Fahrenheit .
References
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