Buying and Importing Ferns

Many nurseries in the UK used to grow ferns either as dedicated fern suppliers or as part of a wider portfolio of plants. Over time the number of nurseries propagating ferns has sadly decreased and many nurseries and garden centres now buy their ferns from large industrial growers on the continent. Unfortunately, these ferns are often sold with no provenance and can be wrongly or ambiguously named, or be sold with outdated names. Therefore, if you are seeking a particular fern, make sure that you are familiar with its appearance before purchasing one with that label.

New Ferns

Many plants in garden centres have been grown in glasshouses or polytunnels with artificial feeding, watering and light. Ferns grown in this way often appear large, glossy and green in the garden centre but then are shocked and suffer when brought home, where the conditions may be very different. Also, industrially produced plants are often raised in very lightweight substrates and minimal-sized pots to make transport cheaper. They may also be underwatered to further save weight. So, most newly bought ferns need to be repotted in a larger pot with a suitable substrate and given a good soaking. It is best to do this as soon as possible, as the ferns can deteriorate quickly when moved into their new environment.

Choose a plant that appears healthy and not pot-bound. Remove the pot and see if there is more than one plant. Often commercial ferns are grown from plugs of multiple young ferns and may be very crowded. If possible, carefully split these plants apart without damaging the roots. If the roots have taken up the shape of the pot, leave them as they are. Repot the plant into a larger pot with a suitable compost and pack compost around the fern to the level of the top of the root-ball. Do not bury the crown of the plant.

Some plug grown plants are grown using biodegradable mesh pots that are supposed to allow roots to penetrate through when they are repotted for sale. The mesh is meant to biodegrade into the compost over time. For whatever reason, the roots of some plants fail to penetrate this mesh and the plant can become pot-bound. When repotting a newly bought fern it is worth checking for this. A tell tale sign is a small ring of mesh encircling the crown of the fern. Occasionally the substrate will just fall away from the plug, revealing the mesh. Carefully remove what you can without damaging the roots.

Mailorder and Online Purchases

There is a risk when ordering a fern online that you receive the wrong plant. Ferns may be misidentified in the first place and the sellers may genuinely think they are selling you the correct plant. The problem can go right back to the wholesalers or the original grower. It is worth opening a dialogue with the seller before you purchase if you are concerned. Some large nurseries are knowingly distributing plants that are incorrectly identified. Their justification is that these wrong names have become ‘trade names’ over time. This is not just a case of using an older synonym but using names that refer to completely different species.

Plants can be affected by extreme weather conditions at a certain point in their journey. It is best to avoid ordering if you know you are about to hit a heatwave or a particularly cold period. Also check the weather conditions of the location you are ordering from.

Deliveries can be delayed in transit. If the plants are travelling a long way there will be several stages at which things can slow down, particularly if you are importing ferns. Some countries have strict export procedures and the UK now has exceptionally complicated import rules for plants. Even with the best planning, research and preparation packages can get lost or delayed for several weeks. There is no guarantee that plants will arrive alive after such delays. Also, don’t forget that it can take several months for your new ferns to acclimatise and get to a stage where they are growing well and are strong enough to go onto display.

Research

It is always worth spending some time confirming the identity of the fern you have bought and learning its specific needs. It is easy to assume that a fern sold as ‘tropical’ requires a tropical environment, only to find that it will quite happily live in much less demanding conditions. To be more certain of getting the correct plant in a good state of health, see if it can be obtained from a reputable nursery. There are several nurseries listed on this website. Of course, word-of-mouth is also an important way of ensuring that you get the plant that you want.

​

If you have ordered a species you have never kept before or know very little about, you may kill it through kindness. You might just not have enough information or time to work out what this plant requires to thrive. Sometimes it takes several attempts to understand what a plant needs. Do as much research as you can and keep a close check as you are acclimatising and establishing new plants.

Importing Ferns

From time to time you may be tempted to import ferns from Europe or further afield to expand your collection. This can be interesting and allow you to keep a much broader range of ferns. Transporting plants is always risky. Be realistic, many factors in the import process can go wrong and lead to disappointment—this may be due to no fault of the seller. You have to take this financial risk and be prepared for heartache. Also, there may be a good reason an unusual fern is not commonly available—it might be difficult to grow. Be prepared for losses.

Receiving Imported Plants

Try to arrange that plants are delivered to you at a time when they can be taken indoors and attended to immediately. Even well wrapped plants in polystyrene boxes can get cold if left outside in the winter months. In the absence of someone to accept the delivery, plants may be returned to the delivery depot and left in an unheated van or warehouse until a new delivery date can be arranged.

Unpack the plants as soon as you receive them and carefully remove the wrapping material around the fronds. Make sure that you keep the right label with the right plant if this is something new to your collection. Then remove the root ball cover material that has been used for transport. This often comprises polythene or clingfilm around a ball of transport medium used solely for shipping. Tropical ferns are not usually transported in a substrate suitable for them to grow in. Instead, their roots or rhizomes will have been washed and then wrapped in dead moss. This moss needs to be removed as it is often compacted and dry. After unpacking the plants, look at them more closely to see if they need any immediate attention. Remove any faded, dead or rotting material.

The plants may have been dipped in sterilising chemicals for phytosanitary purposes and it is advisable to wash the upper parts of the plants (above the root ball) in clean water before planting. Depending on the species, these chemicals can affect the plant tissues. It’s not uncommon for the plants to lose all their fronds and there is potential for rot to set in.  Often it is best to start off newly imported ferns in the protected conditions of a plastic bag, terrarium or high-humidity glasshouse, with a simple substrate such as pure sphagnum or a well-draining mix. Avoid the fronds of the plant touching the sides of the container as condensation can soak the frond and lead to rot. Sometimes you will receive bare rhizomes. Treat these as rhizome cuttings. See the propagation page on this website.

After a few weeks, or when new growth is seen, begin to acclimatise your new plants to the environment that you will eventually keep them in. Allow some exchange of air by ventilating the terrarium or plastic bag. Remember to check regularly on the dampness of the substrate once this ventilation has started.

European Regulation for Importing to the UK

Government regulations for importing plants can change at any time. Since Brexit there is no longer free movement of goods from Europe into Great Britain. There are now many more regulations and considerable red tape. The regulations that do exist are not designed to facilitate the hobby grower or even a small retailer, they are in place for large commercial importers. Unfortunately, there is no way legally around this regulation which is in place largely to protect biosecurity, as well as for customs and revenue. The laws are slightly different for Scotland and Northern Ireland remains in the EU single market, so is governed by different regulations. Special protocols are also in place for moving plant material between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Always check before you go ahead and purchase plants.

Any plants for planting are now considered ‘high risk’. Under normal circumstances you are classed as an importer and you will need to register yourself as such using IPAFFS (the Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System) which is Defra’s import IT system. The EU exporter must get a phytosanitary certificate for your export. A phytosanitary certificate is a statement from the plant health authority of the export country that the consignment has been inspected. It must be checked for pests and diseases, and it will need to comply with the legal requirements for import. You will need a scanned copy of the phytosanitary certificate from your exporter, as this will need to be uploaded in the IT system. If the paperwork is not in place the consignment will be subject to delay and in most cases they will contact you to obtain the missing documents. Plants may be subject to physical checks and you may need to pay fees. If your consignment fails the checks, the consignment might be destroyed or returned to the exporter. If they are returned to the EU it is you who will be classed as the exporter and you will be legally responsible for navigating export regulations.

Note that EU plant passports are no longer recognised as an official label in Great Britain, though they are still valid in Northern Ireland. If you are a trader and or have a hobby business selling plants online or to other businesses you will need a UK plant passport to move plant material within the UK. If you are unsure, check the current rules on the UK Government website.

These regulations apply to fern plants, fern rhizomes and fern spores. It also applies to both bare root or potted plants. The regulations are tailored to professional operators but there are no exceptions, even if you only grow plants for a hobby.

Non-EU Regulation

Since the UK left Europe the procedures for importing plants from outside of the EU is effectively the same as for those from inside Europe. The time the plants will be travelling is likely to be longer and it can be trickier to get the relevant paperwork in place. Conversations may be happening between you and the seller through Google Translate. The plants themselves may appear reasonably cheap, but the costs soon rack up once the price of phytosanitary certifications and couriers are added to the consignment.

Invasive Non-Native Plant Species

There are two aquatic ferns that currently appear on the banned list of species in the UK. These are Azolla filiculoides and Salvinia ×molesta. Aquatic ferns can rapidly multiply and in turn can cause disruption to waterways. Azolla has become a problem in a few parts of the UK. Lygodium japonicum, the Climbing Fern, is also now considered a threat. It is illegal to ‘intentionally’ keep or cultivate these species without a special licence and exchange of plant material is forbidden. As climate changes it is likely that this list will expand. Punishments can range from a warning to imprisonment.

Ethics and Conservation

Several tree ferns species, which are considered endangered, need a permit to be imported. These are listed by the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). A permit is still needed even if these plants have been artificially propagated. Check on their website for the species that need a permit. Contrary to a common misconception, Dicksonia antarctica is not covered by CITES. However, a permit is needed to harvest and export D. antarctica from the wild under Australian law.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is concerned with the conservation of biodiversity and protecting any benefits arising from genetic resources. It helps to develop national strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. Therefore countries will have national laws controlling plant exports. If you are importing wild-sourced material, find out if the ferns you are planning to import have been collected legally and ethically. This may require some judgement from yourself. The authorities in the export country are unlikely to grant a phytosanitary certificate if the plant has been sourced from the wild, since the authorities cannot guarantee the conditions from which the material has been produced. Most plants available will be from small nurseries or collectors. It is difficult to know where these nurseries ultimately get their plant material, and impossible to guarantee that their stock levels are maintained through propagation alone and not through wild collection. However, if phytosanitary certificates are in place, one has to assume a degree of checking has occurred.

Community

Ultimately, fern hobbyists need to share material between themselves and preserve the diversity of tropical and indoor fern species and cultivars that are already available in the UK. If you get into the habit of propagating your stock and sharing it with friends, the favour will most likely be returned.