Fern Grower's Manual

(Revised and Expanded Edition)

Ferns have graced our planet for hundreds of millions of years. With about 12,000 named species of ferns worldwide, the variety to be found among them is staggering in its array of forms, textures, and even colors. From towering tree ferns to tiny water clovers, ferns and fern allies offer a wide range of uses in the garden and home.

This book offers useful advice on ferns and fern allies for any region, with details on cultivation, identification, landscaping, and more. The bulk of the book consists of an encyclopedic treatment of all the ferns in cultivation in the U.S. Some 700 species from 124 genera are described in detail, including physical descriptions, cultural requirements, hardiness, common names, synonyms, special uses, geographical range, and notable cultivars or related species. Each species is accompanied by a black-and-white illustration to allow for easy identification and to provide a useful means of comparing species.

Updated and greatly expanded, this new edition of Hoshizaki's original 1975 book is the most comprehensive book available on fern cultivation.

Media reviews of this book:

"This book opened my eyes to the diversity of ferns worldwide ... Fern Grower's Manual is an authoritative reference that is sure to remain at the pinnacle of fern literature for decades to come."

—C. Colston Burrell, Horticulture, January 2003

"Clearly the result of a lifelong passion for ferns, this is a serious tome, academic in the degree of detail presented, but written for anyone with an interest in growing, studying, or simply enjoying ferns."

—Pacific Horticulture, Fall 2001

"An excellent horticultural resource for those who specialize in growing ferns. An impressive work and an epic volume that will not soon be replaced. "

—Choice, October 2001

"It is overwhelming in both content and weight."

—John van de Water, Newark Star-Ledger, October 21, 2001

"This book is for reference and also for finding bits of information not usually found elsewhere.

Excellent black and white drawings show pertinent details. "

—National Gardener, June 2001

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Customer reviews of this book:

"Superb — excellent reference!"

—Charley H. from Pooler, Georgia, April 30, 2007

"For once, there is a complete list of ferns and their characteristics."

—Thomas P. from San Diego, California, September 2, 2005

"The bible for fern-lovers."

—Steven H. from Altha, Florida, July 8, 2004

"A lovely, wonderfully informative book — a keeper for all time."

—Beverly M. from Louisburg, North Carolina, September 29, 2003

An excerpt from this book:

Ferns bring to mind pleasant, cool glens and shaded forests. We recall such things when we use ferns in our gardens and homes. Their ferny look is well known and loved, and some of us are content to sit back and relax as we enjoy the soft green array of patterns and textures in ferns. But there is more to appreciate about ferns than their mere appearance. Ferns are usually recognized by their finely divided leaves, a type of leaf so characteristic that it is called a "ferny leaf." There are, however, many plants with ferny leaves that aren't ferns, and many ferns that don't have typical ferny leaves ...

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