Blessed be the zone-pushers who find the members of groups generally thought to be unavailable to those not in the tropics which can manage in our temperate world. Drynaria, or basket ferns are a fascinating group that produces dry, skeletal basal fronds which are designed to collect detritus. This offers them enhanced nutrition usually provided by soil contact, which they often don't have as they grow on tree trunks or rock faces. Unfortunately this can usually only be observed in glasshouses leaving many plant-lovers and even fern fanatics unaware of its wonder. No longer we say! This Chinese species is surely among the hardiest of the genus, with proven survival in the UK and North Carolina. The closest thing you will get to a hardy staghorn, and certainly something you won't find in a friend's garden.
