Herself’s Houston Garden

Cabbage Palm is rated for zones 9b to 11 so should do well here in Houston. It prefers light to full shade, slightly dry soil ( for a fern ) and should reach 3′ in height and 1′ across. Water is not a problem can adapt to moist or wet soil.

It is usually grown in baskets and is a fast growing fern. It is grown for its unusual shaped fronds. It can also be found growing in the nooks of live oaks.

Like rabbit’s foot fern it has creepers which are thick, these are covered in brown scales. I’ll add in a photo once they can be seen on this fern.

Scale can be a problem.

Propagation: Spreads by rhizomes.

Native to Florida, Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America

Wavey cloak is a smaller fern reaching about 12″ in height and about 12″ across. It is hardy 7a-10b so should do just fine here in Houston.

Unusual for a fern it can take full sun to light shade.

More information to follow as I find it or figure it out.

This was a March Mart find this year. The stamens of the flower are a dark purplish blue, the red petals are really striking. In time this plant should be covered with blooms. It’s only been in the ground a few weeks as I write this. Once settled it should bloom almost all year.

This shrub should reach about 6′ tall and 2′ across. It is only rated to zone 10a so I’m not sure it’ll winter over here on the north side of Houston.

Brazilian candles loves high humidity and filtered light.

Protect from cold.

I brought this home from March Mart last year, thinking it was an Australian tree fern, but then it never got any taller. These things happen.

While it is not a fast growing fern it’s certainly been trouble free. It’s been stuck in a corner with little to no sun and moderately dry soil. Neither heat nor cold bothers it, though I’m sure it’d be happier with a bit more sun and water.

It is a large fern and striking. It’s about 3′ from tip to tip right now. In time it will get small plants on the end of its fronds like a spider plant. I’ll post photos once she makes some babies for me. I’ve never known a fern to do this so I’m really looking forward to it.

Propagate by division or spores or by the small plants that grow on the end of the leaves.