Ferns & Economic Importance

Ferns are plants that don't produce seeds; they reproduce with spores. They generally live as an understory plant in shaded, moist areas, although their habitat varies considerably. Their leaves are called fronds, which are highly divided except in a few isolated species. While they don't have any major economic importance, they have a minor economic impact in the floral and landscape industry, and are important in areas where they are used for food.

Ferns are a staple in the landscape and floral industry. Ferns are great landscape plants, and are used for their attractive lacy foliage. In the floral industry, ferns are used for both houseplants and greenery for floral arrangements. Some of the most popular ferns for these purposes are sword ferns (Nephrolepis exaltata), birdsnest fern (Asplenium nidus, one of the rare ferns with solid leaves) and floral fern (Rumohra adiantoides).

Although not a diet staple, ferns provide some sustenance for some groups of people, and the Native Americans were known to gather and eat selected ferns in times of hunger. Erect sword fern (Polystichum munitum) or licorice fern (Polypodium glycyrrhiza) rhizomes are roasted and steamed. Sword ferns taste somewhat bitter and licorice ferns are saccharin-sweet. The unfurling fronds, called fiddleheads, are eaten more often, but anyone attempting to forage for these should note that mature fronds are toxic. Fiddleheads of the ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris), cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) and vegetable fern (Diplazium esculentum) are the varieties eaten.

Ferns are economically important in an indirect way. Ferns were the dominant plant in the landscape many millions of years ago. When they died, they formed a thick layer of foliage and detritus, along with other trees and foliage. These layers now are deep underground, and have been subjected to heat and pressure for millions of years, eventually becoming coal, which has tremendous economic importance.

The mosquito fern (Azolla spp.) is barely recognizable as a fern. It is small and aquatic, floating on ponds and still waters. It has the ability to fix nitrogen and make it available to other plants, and this ability has led to its extensive use with water crops such as rice. When rice paddies in China are flooded, mosquito fern is introduced, and it multiplies quickly to cover the surface. When living, these ferns suppress weeds, and when they begin to die and rot, they release the nitrogen to the rice plants. Because these ferns multiply so quickly, they are considered a serious weed in some parts of the world.