Almost 40 different fern species have been listed at Booyong which is not surprising given the lush rainforest within the conservation area. I have to admit the list compiled by Van is quite intimidating and I’m glad I have a passion for learning. I believe I’m going to be kept quite busy identifying plants for many years to come and am grateful for the guidelines he, Dave and Beryl have kept and generously shared with us.

We’re going to start with the common Australian native Maidenhair fern (scientific name – Adiantum aethiopicum). It’s a fine and delicate evergreen plant that can grow to 1m in height. As we will discover over time there are a range of maidenhair ferns that are differentiated by their leaf foliage. They grow from underground rhizomes and have brown leaf stalks whose fronds unfold to present lush green foliage.

They are commonly used indoors in pots or hanging baskets and in nature prefer shady rock areas or moist areas near creeks and ponds. You will see them scattered throughout Booyong within the rainforest area. Please enjoy them and not remove any plants from the conservation area.