Fern Meaning

Ferns are expressions of sincerity and allure. 

In witch magic, they’re deemed as symbols of luck, riches, protection and also rainmaking.  Witt regard to the different varieties of fern like the maidenhair fern, this relates to the secret bond of love and also discretion.  Flowering ferns can also mean a reverie.

Blossoming with flowers or not, ferns are very symbolic plants.  For the Victorian interpretation, they mean fascination, confidence, magic and shelter. So if you’re fascinated by the beauty of a woman, the fern is a good gift to present her with - to tell her how you feel.

• Name:  Fern
• Color:  This is very tricky considering that ferns don’t really produce flowers.  However, speaking of the plants with the word fern attached to them, plants like the asparagus fern has white flowers and the sweet fern has white or red flowers.
• Shape:  For the asparagus fern and the sweet fern, their flowers have tubular shapes.
• Fact:  Because fern reproduce through spores, they don’t have seeds and they don’t really have flowers. Ferns have been around for quite a while. In fact, Missouri Environment and Garden Institute have proof to show that ferns came about way before the dinosaurs came to life. But unlike those mammoth creatures, fern still thrive till today.
• Poisonous:  Is it poisonous? It depends on the variety of fern.  The asparagus fern is a nontoxic plant and so are the bird’s nest fern, the Boston fern and the maidenhair fern among others. On the other hand, a toxic variety is the Bracken fern.
• Number of Petals:  Ferns are all about spores so it has no flowers and no petals to speak of.  But the asparagus fern have six tepals.
• Victorian Interpretation:  Ferns and their flowers signify magic.  It also relates to fascination, confidence and shelter.
• Blossom Time:  Flowers from the asparagus fern bloom in the summer when the weather conditions are humid.

Superstitions: 

Since the fern is a plant that rarely has blooming flowers on it, it means that you’re going to have a happiness and bounty for all of your life if you happen to see a flowering fern.  For the Finnish, it’s a tradition for them to find a fern seed in bloom on a midsummer night.  Whoever has this flower can use it as a guide to find the location of a hidden treasure.: 

• The Shape: Since ferns usually reproduce via spores, the common varieties don’t really have flowers. But on other species like the asparagus fern, they have flowers that are funnel or tube shaped.
• Petals: It’s going to be quite the challenge to imagine what the petals of a fern looks like because basically, it doesn’t have any flowers. But if you look into the flowers of an asparagus fern, its petals are small and delicate.
• Numerology: The fern is a number 7 in numerology.  This relates to the state of being aware, knowledgeable and mediation.
• Color: Ferns as a whole take on the color green.  For fern species like the asparagus fern, this plant blooms white flowers in June.

Herbalism and Medicine:

Ferns were once thought of to be the most useless plants in the world.  However, after further studies of the plant, a handful of medicinal uses have been found.  For one, oil can be extracted from the roots of the male fern which is used to deal with parasites like worms in humans.

Maidenhair ferns have a medicinal property that makes it a good remedy for lung problems.  The roots and the fronds of the maidenhair are also used in France as one of the ingredients for cough syrup.  Its roots are also used as wound treatment.  For the black spleenwort variety of fern, this is used for various bowel disorders.