Frosty Fern available for sale now in garden centers
Poinsettias are traditional and cyclamens are beautiful, but a truly unique holiday gift plant is Frosty Fern. “Frosty” because of the white tips on the green foliage but “Fern” is just a marketing gimmick. Frosty Fern is not a fern but a type of spike moss (Selaginella), cousin to the resurrection fern (S. lepidophylla).
close up of the aerial roots
Only about 6 to 8 inches tall, Frosty Fern has fern-like, scalloped foliage with many aerial roots – the thin strands hanging down from the stems. The more humid the air, the more aerial roots develop. Keep in mind that the plants at the garden centers have green foliage and white tips with plenty of aerial roots because they have been grown in humid greenhouses. Now they look great as gift plants, filling that need to give someone a holiday gift who already has everything.
Although Frosty Fern does not mind your low light levels in your home, it does object to your dry home. This houseplant requires high humidity, as high as 70 percent. Likely this will prove a challenge, so it is best to think of Frosty Fern as a terrarium plant. Unless Frosty can take a shower with you in a bathroom with a bright window, it may be best to insert Frosty in a large terrarium or glass bowl.
In the summer, as the temperature increases, its frosty tips will revert to green but should become white again in the fall when temperatures drop. As a slow grower, Frosty Fern does not require a lot of food. Fertilizer once in the summer at a very diluted strength.
close up of the white-tipped foliage
The soil should be moist but don’t let the plant sit in standing water. If the plant came in a decorative foil wrapper, remove it and make sure the container has drainage holes.
Frosty Ferns can be found at independent garden centers now but don’t expect to find them after the holidays. These special plants only make an appearance during the holidays so purchase one now!