Resurrection Fern

Description:

Resurrection fern growing on Oak trees at Blue Spring State Park.

Habitat:

Live oak at Blue Spring State Park.

Notes:

This plant can lose about 75 percent of its water content during a typical dry period and possibly up to 97 percent in an extreme drought. During this time, it shrivels up to a grayish brown clump of leaves. When it is exposed to water again, it will “come back to life” and look green and healthy. The plant gets its name from this supposed “resurrection,” but it never actually dies during the process. By contrast, most other plants can only lose 10 percent of their water content before they die.