British Pteridological Society - Fern World

British Pteridological Society - Fern World British Pteridological Society - The Society for Fern Enthusiasts. Promoting pteridology through the study of ferns, clubmosses, horsetails and quillworts.

Fabulous ferny shadows in the Composition in the Park border garden celebrating Wollescote composer Dorothy Howell by B...
19/06/2026

Fabulous ferny shadows in the Composition in the Park border garden celebrating Wollescote composer Dorothy Howell by BBC Gardeners' World Live

Beautiful platinum medal winning display by Exotic Fern Group BBC Gardeners' World Live
19/06/2026

Beautiful platinum medal winning display by Exotic Fern Group BBC Gardeners' World Live

Ferns of Kefalonia! 1- Rusty back fern - Asplenium ceterach (a very crispy example!)2- Irish Spleenwort/ Western Black S...
19/06/2026

Ferns of Kefalonia!
1- Rusty back fern - Asplenium ceterach (a very crispy example!)
2- Irish Spleenwort/ Western Black Spleenwort - Asplenium onopteris
3&4- Maidenhair fern - Adiantum capillis-veneris
5- Mediterranean spikemoss - Selaginella denticulata
6- Great horsetail - Equisetum telematia
7- Bracken - Pteridium aquilinum
8&9- Jersey fern - Anogramma leptophylla

We have members and interests in ferns across the whole world! These ferns are a great example of when our focus shifts outside of the U.K.

Every week we celebrate where we showcase a beautiful picture of ferns in the wild or in gardens. If you’d like to get involved, make sure to use the hashtag and tag us and we’ll try our best to share your ferny pictures!

The British Pteridological Society is the society for fern enthusiasts. Covering the appreciation, education, horticulture, conservation, and scientific study of ferns, horsetails, quillworts and clubmosses. We do this through a range of publications, meetings and workshops. Click the link in our bio and visit our website to find out more! 

Do you want to get involved in fern research? A group of students and researchers at Edge Hill University in collaborati...
16/06/2026

Do you want to get involved in fern research? A group of students and researchers at Edge Hill University in collaboration with have started a citizen science project looking at the phenology of UK native fern species. This will be a long-term monitoring project which could give us a better idea of how our changing climate is affecting our native ferns.

Phenology is the study of the yearly cycles that plants go through like flowering, fruiting, putting out new leaves in spring and losing leaves in autumn. Very little is known about how the climate is affecting these cycles in ferns. We don’t think there are any other monitoring projects ongoing!

You can contribute to our knowledge by recording what’s going on in your garden or your local area!

Comment below, send us a DM or contact Kieran Heggs ([email protected]) for more information.

Every week we celebrate where we showcase an aspect of the biology behind the ferns that we know and love! If you want to help us inspire curiosity in all thing’s ferns and lycophytes, direct message us or email [email protected]

The British Pteridological Society is the society for fern enthusiasts. Covering the appreciation, education, horticulture, conservation, and scientific study of ferns, horsetails, quillworts and clubmosses. We do this through a range of publications, meetings and workshops. Click this link ( https://allmylinks.com/britpteridsoc ) and visit our website to find out more!

Jersey fern (Anogramma leptophylla) found on the Greek island of Cephalonia. This little fern (as the name suggests) is ...
12/06/2026

Jersey fern (Anogramma leptophylla) found on the Greek island of Cephalonia. This little fern (as the name suggests) is only found in the Channel Islands of the UK. However the despite the limited range in the UK it can be found across Europe and the Mediterranean and can also be found in Africa, Central and South America and even Oceania

There’s also a bonus bit of Asplenium onopteris below!

Every week we celebrate where we showcase a beautiful picture of ferns in the wild or in gardens. If you’d like to get involved, make sure to use the hashtag and tag us and we’ll try our best to share your ferny pictures!

The British Pteridological Society is the society for fern enthusiasts. Covering the appreciation, education, horticulture, conservation, and scientific study of ferns, horsetails, quillworts and clubmosses. We do this through a range of publications, meetings and workshops. Click the link in our bio and visit our website to find out more! 

Yesterday we showed you how to identify some of the native ferns that you might find growing on walls. Today we’re showi...
10/06/2026

Yesterday we showed you how to identify some of the native ferns that you might find growing on walls. Today we’re showing you anther two common species found on walls, Polypodium (Polypody) species and Asplenium ceterach (Rustyback fern)!

Every week we celebrate where we showcase an aspect of the biology behind the ferns that we know and love! If you want to help us inspire curiosity in all thing’s ferns and lycophytes, direct message us or email [email protected]

The British Pteridological Society is the society for fern enthusiasts. Covering the appreciation, education, horticulture, conservation, and scientific study of ferns, horsetails, quillworts and clubmosses. We do this through a range of publications, meetings and workshops. Click the link in our bio and visit our website to find out more!

How do you tell the difference between our UK native wall ferns?These ferns are commonly found on walls in towns and cit...
09/06/2026

How do you tell the difference between our UK native wall ferns?

These ferns are commonly found on walls in towns and cities but can also be found in cracks in rocks and some growing in soil.

Can you think of any other species that grow on walls?

Every week we celebrate where we showcase an aspect of the biology behind the ferns that we know and love! If you want to help us inspire curiosity in all thing’s ferns and lycophytes, direct message us or email [email protected]

The British Pteridological Society is the society for fern enthusiasts. Covering the appreciation, education, horticulture, conservation, and scientific study of ferns, horsetails, quillworts and clubmosses. We do this through a range of publications, meetings and workshops. Click the link in our bio and visit our website to find out more!

Rigid Buckler Fern (Dryopteris submontana) at Gait Barrows.A blue-green fern covered in glands with pale scales. It’s on...
05/06/2026

Rigid Buckler Fern (Dryopteris submontana) at Gait Barrows.
A blue-green fern covered in glands with pale scales. It’s only found in limestone areas generally growing in grikes (crevices). It’s a rare fern due to the requirements for this specific geology.

Every week we celebrate where we showcase a beautiful picture of ferns in the wild or in gardens. If you’d like to get involved, make sure to use the hashtag and tag us and we’ll try our best to share your ferny pictures!

The British Pteridological Society is the society for fern enthusiasts. Covering the appreciation, education, horticulture, conservation, and scientific study of ferns, horsetails, quillworts and clubmosses. We do this through a range of publications, meetings and workshops. Click the link in our bio and visit our website to find out more!

Photo: Kieran Heggs

The fern life cycle is different to that of flowering plants. It’s important to understand that for ferns reproduction o...
02/06/2026

The fern life cycle is different to that of flowering plants. It’s important to understand that for ferns reproduction occurs via spores. Spores grow into a small liverwort like plant that is capable of making both male and female reproductive cells.

If you’re unsure of any aspects of this process or would just like to know more leave a comment on this post or send us a DM. No question is too big or too small!

Every week we celebrate where we showcase an aspect of the biology behind the ferns that we know and love! If you want to help us inspire curiosity in all thing’s ferns and lycophytes, direct message us or email [email protected]

The British Pteridological Society is the society for fern enthusiasts. Covering the appreciation, education, horticulture, conservation, and scientific study of ferns, horsetails, quillworts and clubmosses. We do this through a range of publications, meetings and workshops. Click the link in our bio and visit our website to find out more!

Lots of amazing pteridophytes on the BPS meeting to Calderdale this weekend! The group saw:Moonwort (Botrychium sp.) Kil...
01/06/2026

Lots of amazing pteridophytes on the BPS meeting to Calderdale this weekend! The group saw:
Moonwort (Botrychium sp.)
Killarney Fern (Vandenboschia speciosa)
Fir clubmoss (Huperzia selago)
Adder’s tongue Fern (Ophioglossum vulgatum)

This meeting was a joint adventure between the North West and Yorkshire groups of our society along with Bradford Botany Group. Part of the aim of the meeting was to determine the identity of the moonworts found here. Originally they were thought to be Botrychium lunaria but it’s now thought they could be Botrychium nordicum or perhaps something new to the uk!

We have lots of field meetings around the country coming up this year. Check out the calendar on our website (link in bio) to find out what’s going on in your area!

Thank you to for the pictures!

The British Pteridological Society is the society for fern enthusiasts. Covering the appreciation, education, horticulture, conservation, and scientific study of ferns, horsetails, quillworts and clubmosses. We do this through a range of publications, meetings and workshops. Click the link in our bio and visit our website to find out more!

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Cromwell Road
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SW7 5BD

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