July 2026

Ferns are among the most widespread plants on Earth, occurring on nearly every continent and thriving in habitats ranging from freshwater wetlands to arid deserts. Scientists have identified between 10,000 and 12,000 fern species worldwide, with approximately 380 species found in North America. Virginia is home to about 80 native fern species, and 25 species have been documented within the Dragon Run watershed, highlighting the area's rich botanical diversity.

One of Dragon Run’s most unusual and iconic ferns is the Resurrection Fern, Pleopeltis polypodioides. It is an epiphytic fern, meaning that it grows on another plant, but it is not parasitic. The Resurrection Fern, like other epiphytes, is always attached to a tree; it does not root in the ground. Epiphytes (also called air plants) grow on another plant for physical support only.  Lichens, Spanish Moss, and many tropical bromeliads and orchids are epiphytes.

Seeing a fern growing in a tree is quite unusual in North American although there are 15-20 species of epiphytic ferns in North America, most are in Florida. The biology of the Resurrection Fern is fascinating. During periods of low rainfall, the Resurrection Fern will shrivel up, turn brown and appear to be dead (see photos). But get some rain, and it will rehydrate, uncurl, turn green again and look like a typical fern. This uncurling-green process begins in minutes but to fully rehydrate, takes hours. Along Dragon Run, it is common in Bald Cypress trees, sometimes on the trunk and sometimes covering whole branches.

Much research has been conducted on the Resurrection Fern.  Most newsworthy, this fern was sent into space in 1997 to determine if it could “resurrect” itself in zero gravity.  It did, showing that gravity has little to do with desiccation and rehydration in plants. Other research has found that the fern can routinely lose over 95% of its cellular water content and resurrect within minutes to hours when rained upon. Although the plant cells shrink to conserve moisture, special sugars and proteins stabilize the cells and allow them to survive in a desiccated state. This fern also has specialized hairs (peltate scales) found on their fronds (leaves) that act as tiny sponges and have the ability to absorb atmospheric moisture. Many epiphytic plants have these peltate scales. Wetland swamps like Dragon Run have atmospheric moisture even in times of drought, helping to explain their common occurrence in our large Dragon wetlands.

On some downstream kayak trips, we have sprayed water on a desiccated fern, and when we paddle upstream and hour later, it had already begun to green up and unfurl. Nature is amazing and bizarre.