Ferns are ancient, non-flowering plants that rely on different reproductive strategies than common garden plants. The direct answer to whether you can grow a fern from a cutting, like a stem or leaf cutting, is generally no, with some rare exceptions. Ferns lack the specialized tissue found in the stems of flowering plants that allows a simple cutting to regenerate roots and new shoots. Successful fern propagation relies on understanding their distinct anatomy and using methods that exploit their vegetative growth structures.
Why Traditional Stem Cuttings Fail
The fundamental difference between ferns and flowering plants lies in their anatomy. Flowering plants have true stems with nodes, which are points of potential growth where hormones initiate the development of new roots and shoots. Ferns do not possess this same structural organization in their above-ground parts.
The leafy green part of a fern, known as a frond, is biologically more similar to a single, highly divided leaf than a stem. Fronds emerge from the soil as tightly coiled structures called fiddleheads, but they lack the growth tips or nodes needed to form an entire new plant when severed. The true stem of a fern, the structure from which new growth originates, is the rhizome, which typically grows horizontally at or just beneath the soil surface.
Practical Propagation Through Rhizome Division
The most reliable and easiest method for producing new ferns is through rhizome division. This process involves separating the underground or surface-level stem structure to create multiple independent plants, which works best for ferns that grow in clumps. The optimal time for division is typically in the early spring, just before the main flush of new growth begins, or in the early fall.
Preparing the Division
To begin, the mature fern should be gently removed from its pot or carefully dug up from the garden bed. Once the root ball is exposed, excess soil can be teased away to reveal the rhizome, or crown, where the fronds emerge. Using a sharp, sterilized knife or garden shears, the clump is cut into smaller sections. Each division must contain a healthy portion of the rhizome with established roots and at least one growing point.
Replanting the Divisions
The newly separated divisions should be immediately replanted into a suitable medium, such as a well-draining mix. When replanting, the rhizome should be positioned at or just slightly below the soil line, matching its original depth. Thorough watering immediately after replanting helps settle the soil and minimizes transplant shock. Keeping the divisions consistently moist and in a shaded location for the first few weeks is important while the root systems establish themselves.
Growing New Ferns from Specialized Vegetative Structures
Beyond simple rhizome division, some ferns have evolved unique vegetative structures that can be utilized for propagation. Many ferns, such as the common Boston Fern, produce slender, horizontal stems called runners or stolons that creep along the soil surface. These runners naturally develop new plantlets at their tips.
These plantlets can be encouraged to root by gently pinning the runner down onto a small pot of moist soil while it is still attached to the parent plant. Once the small plantlet has developed its own robust root system, the runner can be cleanly severed from the main fern, resulting in a new, independent plant.
Other unique varieties, such as the Mother Fern or Walking Fern, produce tiny plantlets or bulbils directly on the surface of their fronds. These small replicas can be carefully detached once they show signs of developing roots and then potted up individually. Planting them in a highly humid environment, sometimes under a sealed clear cover, increases the chances of successful establishment.