More with the epiphytic experiments

Inspired by how well the Pyrrosia lingua tucked into the trunk of my Trachycarpus fortunei have done...

I decided to experiment with a couple Pyrrosia lingua 'Undulata'...

...and the chunk of tree fern trunk I bought late last year. Originally I had the brilliant idea of displaying it in a giant metal spring I had on hand. While it would have looked fabulous, it didn't work once I'd attached the ferns. What I should have done was dig down and hollow out a crater for the root ball. Live and learn.

Since I didn't go that route my first step was to remove as much of the soil as possible by soaking the ferns. I started with three, but only ended up using two.

Then I sort of splayed the roots around the trunk and wrapped it all with nylon string.

And covered it with moss.

I'm still not sure exactly what I'll do with this, but I'm hoping the Pyrrosia grows to cover more of the trunk.

Speaking of (tree fern trunk) I was thinking maybe I'd try to tuck a small piece or two of Pyrrosia in my growing tree fern trunk, we'll see. I still haven't planted this in the ground like I'd planned to do. The spot I had targeted just isn't right. I'm scheming on what to do instead.

Apropos of nothing I'm sharing a photo Andrew took while out fishing at the Tideman Johnson Natural Area sometime in February. I love it and thought it worked in with this post, what with the moss and ferns.

Next project! Another Pyrrosia lingua 'Undulata' I worked into a piece of driftwood.

The wood had a perfect planting pocket once I filled the bottom with a small piece of landscape fabric.

Moss shoved in around the top of the root ball keeps it all in place.

There was even the perfect small crack to hold one of the fern's creeping rhizomes.

I love it.

I tackled this next project while stuck indoors on a particularly rainy weekend. The pieces...

The inspiration, photos from the Instagram account of @fern_wmp...

The fern in the photo is called out as possibly Belvisia spicata / Lepisorus spicatus.

But seeing it, I decided to play with mounting the Pyrrosia angustissima I brought home from the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden last February.

I laid it out on the wood piece (from a mounted plant I'd bought that didn't make it), surrounded the roots with sphagnum moss, and then wrapped it all tight.

Then I stopped taking photos! Ha, when you're working with wet soil and moss it's not terribly convenient to stop and take photos. Before I was done I added a couple small bromeliads—not the same ones I started out with, I didn't like how they looked. I needed something larger and less grassy, so as not to blend in so much with the Pyrrosia angustissima "blades".

Pyrrosia angustissima close-up

Bromeliad close-up

Green "Oregon moss" was worked into the sphagnum to add color.

I like how it turned out. We'll see how successful these are long term, it's all an experiment... 

The Bit at the End

If you haven't heard, the plant world lost a great man recently, Pearl Fryar passed away on April 4th. Pearl was a legendary American topiary artist who lived, and gardened, in Bishopville, South Carolina. The Juniper Level Botanic Garden Blog posted a good article about the man and his life, read it here: Pearls of Wisdom.

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My Hortlandia 2026 Spring Fling plant haul

As you might imagine, the 4-day Hortlandia 2026 Spring Fling extravaganza I wrote about on Wednesday meant I ended up with some new plants. It was inevitable! First the plants from friends; Gerhard brought this spiky Agave pintilla, which he grew from seed.

Also from Gerhard, Hechtia stenopetala.

From Max I received a Vriesea fosteriana ‘Red Chestnut’ cutting...

As well as a collection of tillandsia from his and Justin's garden. I guess I said no to a couple of these when I was there last spring, but back then I was bringing them home in my own (very full) suitcase, this time they came with Max... I love them! (Max told me the names, but like Sempervivum I just don't track the names of Tillandsia)

Caleb claimed he was bored with his Pleopeltis lepidopteris 'Morro dos Conventos' and so he passed it along to me. Wow.  

He also gave me a Salvia discolor. I haven't found this fabulous plant available in these parts for quite awhile, I am thrilled to be growing it again.

From Xera Plants I bought another Epimedium wushanense. I remember when this plant was hard to find and rather expensive. 

On to Little Prince. Here the group (L to R: Max, Gerhard, Ann, and Mike) are fern gazing. A completely respectable pastime.

Onoclea sensibilis is a fabulous fern. I didn't bring any home, I already have several.

That dark outline on the new fronds... fantastic!

Pinguicula, pings, butterwort. LPO grows a fine selection of these carnivorous plants. This one, with it's bizarre coloration, is P. cyclosecta. I came home with a couple (wish me luck keeping them alive).

Because we were touring Little Prince with my begonia obsessed friend Ann, we were sure to pause and admire the colorful begonia mounds...

Little Prince has a few Semponium available (a cross between Sempervivum and Aeonium, thought to be hardier than just straight Aeonium). I grew a few last year (thanks to LPO) and they did quite well, that is until a bunny decided to much them back to the roots.

There were Aeonium too!

And Saxifrage...

So as usual the generosity of my LPO friends was phenomenal. I came home with many gift plants. Lots of ferns (Pyrrosia linqua, P. linqua 'Undulata', P.  lingua 'Cristata', assorted Blechnum), a Martagon Lily ('Sunny Morning'), and the "maybe" hardy Begonia 'Harvest Moon'...

...a flat of mixed hardy succulent "plant poppers"...

...and a few of those Semponium (S. 'Sienna' and S. 'Destiny') and Aeonium 'Wheels of Captivation'.

Other LPO plant treasures included a sexy Saxifraga 'Black Ruby'...

Pellaea atropurpurea

Osmunda lancea

And Athyrium x 'Ghost'.

On to Hortlandia! Here's my rather subdued haul...

From Dancing Oaks Nursery, Podophyllum chengii 'Hunan'. My Podophyllum collection has really captured my attention this spring so why not add another to the mix?

Also from DO, a ginger; Asarum delavayi.

Smart nurserymen they are, there was a blooming plant on hand (NFS) that helped sell the non-blooming plants. Maybe mine will have this bloom next year?

Also from the Dancing Oaks booth, I had to grab one of these bumper stickers (no stickers on my car though, it will live in the garage where my plant tools and supplies are).

You probably spotted a strawberry in the mix and thought, what?!? Yep. this was a freebie from the owner of Broken Gate Farm, we got to chatting (I complemented him on his great booth, but noted the lack of signage... and it turns out not much of a website either) and he gave me this Albion strawberry, which sounds like a real winner.

Here's where he's selling this spring if you're curious.

At the far right of the Hortlandia haul photo (and hidden by the strawberry), Saxifraga 'Whitehill'. One can never have too many saxifrage...

One last Hortlandia plant, Rhipsalis pentaptera. Fun times, lots of new plants!

The Bit at the End

My friend Emily Joseph (Assistant Nursery & Retail Sales Manager at the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden) recently penned a fabulous post for the RSBG called "Why williamsianum?". In it she looks closer at Rhododendron williamsianum, a plant some might dismiss as "common" but I happen to think is rather spectacular (I have three).

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All material © 2009-2026 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.