Ferns in habitat, El Yunque Nat'l Park, Puerto Rico

[PalmatierMeg]

In Dec, I took a cruise to the West Indies. It started in Puerto Rico, where I took a tour of El Yunque National Park, advertised as the only rain forest national park in US territory. It is also considered a cloud forest, so I was thrilled to visit it. The park contains over 40 species of ferns but I have no idea what their Latin names are. The most spectacular were tree ferns that grew up to 15-20' tall. I'd love to try one but am not sure how well a cloud forest mountain fern will survive my lowland FL climate. If you know anything about these ferns, let us know.

Ferns of El Yunque National Park, Puerto Rico

Tree Ferns

[PalmatierMeg]

More Tree Ferns

Curly Fern

Small Fern

Fern sp grouping

 

[PalmatierMeg]

Ferns of El Yunque, cont'd

Fern sp

Hanging Fern & Bromeliads

Stream with Ferns

 

I also photographed these lovely flowering bromeliads (Tillandsias?)

[annafl]

Meg, I'll bite.  Several of the large, tree fern photos look like Cyathea cooperi, the Australian Tree Fern, which grows very well in our climate. The one you call the curly fern is nephrolepis biserrata, fishtail, the fishtail fern, again grows very well in our climate.  The small fern on the rock I think is an athyrium species which pops up here and there in my garden, but I don't know the name.  The one at the top of this second post is nephrolepis biserrata, 'macho', kind of a fast-growing, take over fern here.  The last is tillandsia cyanea, pink quill.  It again does fine in our climate and the single flowers have a nice scent!

[Tulio]

The tree fern is Cyathea arborea, native to the Caribbean.

[Eric in Orlando]

I agree that it is Cyathea arborea. I have tried those here but they always die below 30F. Cyathea cooperi is a perfect substitute for central and southern FL. Just don't let it dry out. They need to be kept well watered.

[RedRabbit]

Great pictures, thanks for sharing Meg!

I really like tree frerns. I hear they can be difficult to keep alive and my C cooperi promptly died on me so it is probably true, but they sure do look nice regardless.

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

Those bromeliads are gorgeous.  

[edbrown_III]

Cyathea arborea is the most common one but if yu make it up to the top of El Yunque or El Toro there is Cyathea bryophilla ---- there is are some others that form trunks Cnmedia horrida and Nephelia portoriciencis   ---- the Tillandsia is T . cyanea (if I am spelling it right )  the lumpy fern is Danea nodosa ---- and the forked on is Nephrolepis biseratta ------ Vive la Puerto Rico