Resurrection fern-Polypodium polypodioides
Resurrection fern is a fascinating plant very common in the
Southeast and found from Florida to New York and west to Texas. A
fascinating, but common fern which gets its name from its apparent
ability to return from the dead after a rain shower.
The fern is an air plant, which means it attaches itself to other
plants and gets its nutrients from the air and from water and
nutrients that collect on the outer surface of bark. Resurrection
fern lives on the branches of large trees such as cypresses and live
oaks. It is often found in the company of other air plants such as
Spanish moss and wild pine.
The resurrection fern gets its name because it can survive long
periods of drought by curling up and appearing dead. When just a
little water is present, the fern will uncurl and reopen, appearing
to resurrect. This tiny plant has even been taken on a space shuttle
mission to watch it resurrect itself in space!
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