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. In this volume, Barbara Joe Hoshizaki and Robbin C. Moran have brought together a wealth of information on this vast group of plants. There is useful advice on ferns and fern allies for any region, with details on cultivation, identification, landscaping, and more. The cultural needs and potential problems, from planting to propagating, are extensively covered, including guidance on planting in pots and baskets or in the garden. Additional chapters focus on obtaining and importing ferns and on the naming of ferns. The bulk of the book consists of an encyclopedic treatment of all the ferns in cultivation in the United States. 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. This new edition of Hoshizaki's original 1975 book published by Knopf is updated and greatly expanded. It treats 124 genera and about 700 species (as well as some 200 varieties and cultivars), versus 89 genera and 390 species in the old edition. The descriptions are significantly more detailed, and all the species are illustrated. The black-and-white illustrations are considerably more extensive and useful, as is the color section. This new book is the most comprehensive book available on fern cultivation in the United States.

50 color photos, 165 b/w photos, 826 line drawings, 8 1/2 x 11"