Resurrection Fern – Moving

Q: Is it possible to transplant a resurrection fern from an osage orange tree to a river birch?

A: Resurrection fern is an interesting plant. I often see it coating the upper surface of big oak limbs. During dry times, the fronds are a lifeless brown. But as soon as rain comes, they become a vibrant green. Use a thin metal spatula to push under the fern mat on the osage orange. Try to remove pieces at least as big as your palm. The ferns grew from spores originally deposited on the bark. For that reason, the piece you transfer won’t have good adhesion to the new tree bark. To fix that, use jute twine to tie the pieces tightly in place on a large birch limb.