Fern plants?

Question

are fern plants meant to be hung or not? I just bought one today and don't really know what to do with it

Answer 1

If you bought the fern in a hanging basket, go ahead and hang it.  Just make sure it's in a nice, shady spot.  A low tree limb is perfect.

But you don't have to hang it.  Ferns do quite well in a shady flower bed, as well.

Answer 2

Many Boston ferns are hung up out in humid air outside. But I remember going Antiquing and I always found a pedestal plant stand. It stands about waist high. I remember these listed as Fern stands.

Remember, ferns grow naturally on the ground under trees.

Answer 3

Ferns thrive best when air is able to flow through the plant ( Hanging basket, plant stand etc.) That is why when you see them for sale in garden centers, 9 times out of ten they are in hanging baskets.  Ferns have tubular veins that are mixed in the bushy foliage that helps it intake oxygen and help the plant keep its unique green foliage healthy and full. These veins maximize the air intake when they hang below the plant in a hanging basket. Boston Ferns are the most common hanging basket fern and this is becuase they cannot take cold temps and in the zones with harsh winters, they are treated as annual hanging baskets. There are plenty of perennial ferns (such as starks painted fern) that have beautiful showy green verigated foliage that will come back year after year if you live in an area with cold winters. I have planted several types of ferns and I have found that they do best in a drier location free from the hot sun (obviously, they are a shade loving plant). But beware, snails and slugs LOVE fern leaves. Good luck to you!