1 licorice fern dying, 1 looks great

Discussion in 'Annuals, Biennials, Perennials, Ferns and Bulbs' started by fern2, Jul 7, 2008.

  1. fern2

    fern2 Active Member

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    I've got two 2nd-3rd year licorice ferns that have been happily growing in my garden since last summer. They're both in rich, acidic, woody, well-draining, well-mulched soil in the shady corner of my garden with all of my other native plants. Both are nestled against a big hemlock stump. Yes, I know they prefer maple & other calcium-rich trees but I could only find branches, not stumps (which I've placed nearby). Both ferns have been very happy since they went in the ground.

    Sadly, one of them has been sick since the spring. The old fronds have become brittle and mottled yellow & brown, as they should. However the new growth just hasn't appeared other than a few small new heads that peeked out of the soil in Apr-May; but they haven't progressed any further. New horizontal 'arms' (they look like fuzzy roots) have grown around the original plant, but no new vertical green growth has appeared. At the same time, the other licorice fern, planted just 1.5' away (on the opposite side of the stump) has thrived and nearly doubled in size.
    A few days ago I stuck the fern into a pot (in case the problem was somehow related to its physical location) but I didn't go so far as to put it into entirely new soil. However that hasn't helped to revive the little plant and I'm starting to get desperate - the fern looks like it's on the brink of death.

    Here are some other possible factors that might be important to know:
    1. That corner of my garden (both in sun + shade) is FULL of ant colonies but, other than streaming out of the ground when I remove/disturb rocks etc and farming aphids on a nearby bitter cherry, the ants don't seem to be harming the native garden as a whole (altho it is a little alarming to realise how many thousands must be scurrying around under my feet. I think there's a fairly large colony living under the hemlock stump.
    2. That half of my property is also home to an unprecedented number of black & brown weevils, but they seem to limit themselves to the salal, raspberry, blueberry, and black huckleberry (so much for my summer berry crop... sigh).
    3. I've not seen any evidence of pests or fungus/mildew on the licorice fern itself.
    4. And no other plants in the whole garden look as unhappy or have been as unproductive as that fern.
    Does anyone have any ideas what might be wrong and how I might save my little licorice fern??
    Thx!!
     
  2. GreenLarry

    GreenLarry Active Member 10 Years

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    What on earth is a licorice fern?
     
  3. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    A species of fern Polypodium glycyrrhiza native to western North America. Closely related to Polypodium vulgare in Britain.

    Sorry, don't know what the problem with it is!
     
  4. bjo

    bjo Active Member 10 Years

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    Hi,

    Polypodium glycyrrhiza is summer dormant and will usually lose its leaves. So I wonder if that is all that is going on and you just need to be patient perhaps until Autumn before it produces new leaves? I think that if the rhizome is still plump and firm, it is still alive and probably healthy. Perhaps the difference between the two plants is that one is in more shade, less exposed to dehydrating winds or gets more water drip from the tree? Another possibility is indeed that the ants might be interferring with the fine root system of the fern.

    Good Luck!

    BrianO
     

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