Ferns: Ecology, Cultivation, and Design

This presentation will explore ferns, from their ancient roots to their current evolution, adapting to grow and thrive in a diverse range of environments. This extensive genera of plants can live in open New England meadows, dry or wet woodlands, and in almost any cultivated garden setting to add texture, architectural interest, verdant hues, and essential habitat for native fauna.

The Green Spotlight Series is produced in partnership with the Maine Landscape and Nursery Association. MELNA members can register using the member price and will receive one recertification credit when they attend the live Zoom session.

Michael Sundue, a Vermont botanist, works at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT). Author of over 90 scientific publications, he conducts fieldwork around the world to discover and describe the diversity of ferns and lycophytes. He is also a founder of fernsoftheworld.com, a digital herbarium for photos of curated fern collections. He has delivered research talks nationally and internationally and taught botany courses for academic, horticultural, and general audiences at the University of Vermont, Vermont’s North Branch Nature Center, The New York Botanical Garden, and the Organization for Tropical Studies.