Ross Hoddinott / Male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas) close-up, Broxwater, Cornwall, UK, May

Ross Hoddinott / Two hard fern (Blechnum spicant) fronds uncurling, Coombe Valley, Cornwall, UK. May .

Guy Edwardes / Scarletina bolete (Boletus luridiformis) toadstool, New Forest National Park, Hampshire, England, UK. September.

Jack Dykinga / Western sword fern (Polystichum munitum) and Big leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) trees that are covered with moss, Hoh Temperate Rainforest, Olympic National Park, Washington, USA. June 2017.

Tui De Roy / Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross (Thalassarche chlororhynchos). nesting amid Blechnum palmiforme tree ferns. Gough Island, Gough and Inaccessible Islands UNESCO World Heritage Site, South Atlantic.

Juan Carlos Munoz / Ferns growing near fallen tree in Chestnut forest, Onati, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Spain, Europe

Nick Garbutt / Adult Helmet Vanga (Euryceros prevostii) incubating a clutch of 3 eggs. Nest constructed in the fork of a Bird's Nest Fern (Asplenium sp.) Masoala National Park, north east Madagascar.

Tim Laman / Rock outcrops among tree fern forest at 3300 m elevation. Jayawijaya Mountains, New Guinea. June 2010

Philippe Clement / Tassel fern / Prickly holly fern / Rigid holly fern (Polystichum rigens / platychlamys), close-up of fronds in spring, Belgium. May

Claudio Contreras / Fern (Marattia weinmanniifolia) detail, El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, southern Mexico, May

Claudio Contreras / Tree Fern (Cyathea sp.) detail, El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, southern Mexico, May

Jurgen Freund / Tree fern (Cyatheales) with epicormic growth, damaged in forest fire. Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. February 2020.

Jurgen Freund / Tree ferns overlooking Daintree Rainforest and mouth of Daintree river. Wet Tropics of Queensland, Australia. 2015.

Jurgen Freund / Basket fern (Drynaria rigidula) growing on tree trunks in forest, view from below. Far North Queensland, Australia.

Jurgen Freund / Bird's nest fern (Asplenium nidus) growing on tree trunk. Daintree Rainforest, Wet Tropics of Queensland, Australia.

Jurgen Freund / Bird's nest fern (Asplenium australasicum) and liana amongst boulders on river bank. Mossman Gorge, Daintree Rainforest, Wet Tropics of Queensland, Australia. 2014.

Jurgen Freund / Australian tree fern (Sphaeropteris cooperi) silhouetted against Milky Way in night sky. Queensland, Australia.

Jurgen Freund / Swordfern (Aglaomorpha sp) on tree trunk in rainforest. Far North Queensland, Australia.

Derek Galon / Salton Waterfalls in rainforest. Dominica, Lesser Antilles.

Niall Benvie / Wilson's filmy fern (Hymenophyllum wilsonii) with assorted mosses, Loch Maree, Wester Ross, Scotland, UK, May.

Philippe Clement / Tracking shot through Bracken ferns (Pteridium aquilinum) in pine forest, Belgium, April.

Chris Mattison / Rusty-back fern (Asplenium ceterach / Ceterach officinarum) growing on a stone wall. Catbrook, Monmouthire, Wales, UK. April.

Chris Mattison / Asplenium ruta-muraria, growing in a crack in the wall surrounding Tintern Abbey, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. April.

Nigel Cattlin / Hart's tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium) with leaves unfurling in spring, Devon, May

Ross Hoddinott / Heath fritillary (Mellicta athalia) butterfly basking on bracken (Pteridium aquilinum), Exmoor National Park, Devon, UK. June.

Ross Hoddinott / Heath fritillary (Mellicta athalia) butterfly basking on bracken (Pteridium aquilinum), Exmoor National Park, Devon, UK. June.

Ross Hoddinott / Heath fritillary (Mellicta athalia) butterfly basking on bracken (Pteridium aquilinum), Exmoor National Park, Devon, UK. June.

Ross Hoddinott / Heath fritillary (Mellicta athalia) butterfly basking on bracken (Pteridium aquilinum), Exmoor National Park, Devon, UK. June.

Linda Pitkin / Soft shield fern (Polystichum setiferum) in woodland, Surrey, England, June

David Gallan / Drone shot of burnt Soft tree ferns (Dicksonia antarctica) after a bush fire, Monga National Park, New South Wales, Australia, January 2020.

David Gallan / Drone shot of burnt Soft tree ferns (Dicksonia antarctica) after a bush fire, Monga National Park, New South Wales, Australia, January 2020.

David Gallan / Drone shot of Soft tree ferns (Dicksonia antarctica) in forest, Monga National Park, New South Wales, Australia, 2019.

Nick Upton / Common polypody (Polypodium vulgare) fern frond with maturing sporangia under its leaves in damp woodland, Lower Woods, Gloucestershire, UK, October.

Robert Thompson / Common male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas) frond unfurling, County Armagh, Ireland. April.

Ross Hoddinott / Male fern (Dryopteris felix mas) backlit, close-up, Broxwater, Cornwall, UK. May.

Sandra Bartocha / Birch trees (Betula sp) and Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) Ahrenshoop, Germany, October.

Linda Pitkin / Lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina), Esher Common SSSI, Surrey, England, May.

Linda Pitkin / Maidenhair spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes), and Wall-rue (Asplenium ruta-muraria), ferns growing on wall, Ham House, Ham, Surrey, England, June.

Linda Pitkin / Wall-rue (Asplenium ruta-muraria), fern growing on wall, Westhumble, near Dorking, Surrey, England, July 2016.

Linda Pitkin / Wall-rue (Asplenium ruta-muraria), and Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes), ferns growing on wall, Ham House meadow, Ham, Surrey, England, June 2014.

Linda Pitkin / Black spleenwort (Asplenium adiantum-nigrum), a fern growing on a wall, St Peter's Church, West Molesey, Surrey, England, May.

Ernie Janes / Bracken ( (Pteridium aquilinum), heather (Calluna vulgaris), and Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris) Loch an Eilein, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, UK, September.

Gary K. Smith / Maidenhair spleenwort (Asplenium trichomanes) growing in rock crevice, on limestone pavement. Malham Cove, Yorkshire Dales National Park, England, UK. September.

Doug Gimesy / Hard tree ferns (Blechnum sp.) sprouting in burnt forest after 2019/20 bushfires devastated the area. Damaged Eucalyptus trees and soft tree ferns in the background. ?Martins Creek Scenic Reserve, Nur...

Doug Gimesy / Hard tree ferns (Blechnum sp.) sprouting in burnt forest after 2019/20 bushfires devastated the area. Damaged Eucalyptus trees and soft tree ferns in the background. ?Martins Creek Scenic Reserve, Nur...

Doug Gimesy / Hard tree ferns (Blechnum sp.) sprouting in burnt forest after 2019/20 bushfires devastated the area. Damaged Eucalyptus trees and soft tree ferns in the background. ?Martins Creek Scenic Reserve, Nur...

Doug Gimesy / Ferns growing through ash of burnt forest after 2019/20 bushfires devastated the area. Martins Creek Scenic Reserve Nurran, Victoria, Australia. February 2020. Non-ex.

Erlend Haarberg / Northern spleenwort (Asplenium septentrionale), Innlandet, Norway, June.