These species are more tolerant of sun and stressful dry conditions than our native hapu‘u. Under good conditions they will form a trunk to 10 feet or more. They are well adapted here and are moderate growers. Cyathea cooperi is not recommended as it naturalizes readily when conditions are ideal, but there are at least a dozen other Australian species that do not naturalize easily. These include types from Central America and the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and Australia. Some other species of tree ferns are carried in a few local nurseries. For example, the normally cool and wet cloud forests of Kaloko Mauka received less than 4 inches of rain from December through February. Even ferns of the Kona cloud forests and East Hawaii rainforest areas were severely stressed. This year’s extremely dry weather has put additional stress on hapu‘u. They are becoming rare in some areas due to cutting and removing. Live stumps may sometimes be purchased locally. They should be watered on the trunk and at the base frequently. A shady spot protected from wind is best. Within a couple of weeks, they will begin developing large airy leaves and roots. To establish them, plant in a rich organic soil and keep them moist and shaded. The so called female fern may be transplanted before new leaves emerge in the spring, but often die when planted out of their natural wet habitat. The hapu‘u ii or male fern usually dies after transplanting unless under ideal conditions. In Hawaii our native Cibotiums are being used in the landscape but are slow growing and are becoming scarce. Fern shoots add an exotic touch to vegetable and pork dishes along with bamboo shoots. Then they may be stored in the water and refrigerated for several months. The water is discarded and replaced with fresh water each day. After boiling, the outer skin is peeled off and the interior portions are soaked in fresh water. Our native tree fern or hapu‘u, has an acrid substance so strong that the newly emerging leaf must be boiled outside for 30 to 45 minutes since they contain irritating fumes. Some examples are the swamp Fern and “warabi.” The swamp Fern, Ceratopreris thalictroides, found growing wild in moist areas may be eaten either raw or cooked as greens. Most ferns prefer those shady, moist locations but some species will take full sun, so there is a spot in your garden for at least one or two types.Ī side benefit of ferns is that some are edible. There are many ferns that live attached to trunks and branches of trees like the native Bird Nest Fern, Asplenium nidus, and the Austral Asian Staghorn ferns, Platycerium species. Members of the fern family vary from moss like mini ferns to gigantic palm like tree ferns over 50 feet in height. We have hundreds of ferns native and introduced to Hawaii, but this is just a fraction of the more than 9,000 species found throughout the world.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |