Best ferns for California?

spore for many rare Cyathea are available from the fern society, but I have found growing ferns from spore is not all that easy

hiya palmbob,

I've had a little experience with this and boy are you right when you say it's not so easy. I've used the 'two panes of glass' method and also used sphagnum with a capilliary action water bladder, but have had some Minimal (emphasis on this) success. I've seen how much the spores cost and it might just be fun to see which methodology they recommend. The wait, however, is, of course, way too long...lol. And from spore to lovely six foot long frond and fabulous croziers is forever...lol. I honestly don't have that much time to live... I would like some, really would like some, but my tastes are a little obscure, so I may be forced to grow them this way and roll the dice so to speak. Not on the ferns, but on my life expectancy....lol.

If you've got any pals in the fern biz, both me and my pal Andy at Andy's orchids both would like to know them since we are both kind of casually collecting Cyatheas, and really would like to get our hands on some of the more bizarre species.

best,
don

Go to the yearly annual fern society sales in fall at the LA arboretum... last one I went to 2 years ago there were all sorts of unusual Cyatheas and some rare Dicksonias, as well as a few other species of tree ferns.