How many of us have not heard the legend about how on the night of Ivan Kupala a fern blossoms its flowers? How evil spirits enrages, creeping out with its entire composition to preserve a precious color. How daredevils go to the forest to find a flower that will show the way to countless treasures. And what to hide, many of us also went to look for a fern flower - some as a joke, some out of curiosity, and some just to argue. Did anyone really see him? We will find out very soon.
The question is - do ferns bloom?
To find out if a fern can bloom or not, you first need to figure out what kind of plant it is. So, fern belongs to the category of very rare species that simply do not have seeds. Fern propagation occurs with the help of spores - sores located in the lower part of the plant.
In height, the fern usually grows no more than a meter, but can be quite small - up to 30 centimeters. Large scaly leaves of a feathery-complex type come out from the top of the rhizome. They usually lean toward the earth, wrapping themselves in a coiled fashion. On the lowest leaves, spores mature and then, at the slightest touch (or wind), spill out onto the ground, thereby giving life to new shoots of fern.
What are ferns
To learn how fern blooms, you need to get acquainted with its species. The plant is indoor - interesting carved leaves by decorative beauty have no analogues among domestic plants. A home fern can spread its leaves 70 centimeters from the trunk.
This species does not tolerate sunlight at all and loves when its leaves are often sprayed with plain water. The next species is Thai fern. This is a magnificent aquarium plant with bright green leaves of complex shape. As a rule, this species does not grow more than 30 centimeters and is rather capricious - in addition to clean water, it needs heating in the winter and cooling in the summer. Fern is red, so named by the color of the leaves. Known Indian and tropical species, tree, water and forest. All sorts of legends are connected with the latter.
Forest fern
The forest species of fern include the following: leaflet and bracken, mnogoryadnik and thyroid, coomber and common ostrich. Forest species are distinguished by beautiful funnel-shaped rosettes of leaves. In the midst of summer, the forest fern opens its leaves, becoming like green fountains. Do ferns bloom in the forest and why do people believe in this? The fact is that the maturation of the spores is partly similar to the flowering of ferns.
A frequent phenomenon is when a plant throws thin leaves, similar to small inflorescences - that's what they are taken for small flowers. And in general, a plant that reproduces by spores cannot bloom - this is against all the rules of botany. Therefore, to find out when the fern blooms is not really possible.
What does the legend say?
However, it is worth returning to our ancestors. No wonder so many legends are folded around the color of the fern. Not in vain in Russia did boys and girls go to a dark and terrible forest to find innumerable riches. They left and disappeared, because, according to legend, at that time (night on Ivan Kupala) all evil spirits woke up and went free, which by all means tried to save the fern flower. And just one look back was enough to disappear forever, without reaching the cherished goal. Our ancestors knew when a fern blooms - one night a year, from July 6 to 7. There is an opinion that not everyone opens a flower - he chooses only the elite.
Dozens of people can pass by and not notice it, and the only one, even not looking for him, inadvertently stumbles upon his own happiness. Although, fortunately, the color of the fern did not lead: again, returning to the legends, those who still managed to find a flowering branch, who managed to find out whether ferns were blooming, sold their soul to the devil and, in the end, disappeared.
What do scientists say?
Probably, how many people will live, so much will be the debate about this mysterious plant. There will also be stories in the villages from generation to generation about missing people, there will also be daredevils who, on the treasured night, will go to the fern thickets for a magical flower. So how do you know if ferns are blooming? You can go to the forest yourself - according to legend, the fern blooms a few minutes before midnight, and at midnight its color, gaining full strength, disappears, as if ripped off by an invisible hand. Or trust in science. Do ferns bloom? The scientific answer is no. However, it is worth remembering that there are exceptions in everything. Ancestors believed that the fern opens a fiery red bud for lovers of hearts or for those ruled by a thirst for omnipotence. And scientists seem to say in a voice that a spore plant cannot bloom. However, historians today have proven the existence of Baba Yaga. So maybe the next step will be the fern flower introduced to the world? How to know ...