Ferns seem older than time—certainly older than flowers and seeds—and carry a brilliant but understated history. Appearing in the middle Devonian period, ferns outdate the first dinosaurs by 170 million years, and the first flowering plants by 250 million. While ferns reproduce by windblown spores, they are still true vascular plants, meaning that they have specialized tissues for conducting water and nutrients. This enables the plants to grow larger and support true roots, stems, and leaves. ⁠ ⁠ In our January/February issue, Jane Roy Brown gives us an inside look at the anatomy that makes up these ancient plants (as well as guidance of evergreen varieties that will work for gardens across the continent) ⁠ ⁠ “The section of stem between the pinnae and the underground rhizome is the stipe, which is similar to a petiole in flowering plants. ⁠ ⁠ In most fern species, new growth emerges in tightly coiled fiddleheads (also known as crosiers), fractal spirals that unfurl into full fronds. F...