Frucrea -- A Really Cool Plant

Frucrea -- weird name, hard to spell and not so easy to say, but I love this plant.  Its full name is Frucrea foetida mediopicta.  It looks like a classy "mother-in-law's tongue" or sanservia.  The leaves are stiff like the MIL Tongue but the color variations are so much brighter and defined.  It comes from the agave family but this particular variety doesn't have the sharp spines and extremely stiff blades as the others in the same grouping.     Here in zone 8 we still have to treat it as a houseplant in the winter, although my friend Barbie has kept hers outside in a pot through the winter.  The outer leaves do get burned but they peel off easily and the new growth comes in nicely to fill out the plant.  She also has lots of little "pups" coming up around the edges.  Take a look at it....

This plant is in Barbie's yard but I wanted you to see it alone to get an idea of the shape and also the good coloration.

Here it is in Container No. 16 on Main and Washington....

......nicely nestled in among two Kimberly ferns, two White Christmas caladiums and a scattering of Kauai White torenia.  Barbie gets maximum growth on her plant by feeding it "blue water" a few times a week, although the writeups say that it does not need much fertilizer.  Her plant is also in full sun while this one gets morning sun and late day shade.  It will be interesting to see how they both do.

Haven't decided if this one will stay through the winter in the city container.  The micro climate on Main Street is warmer -- lots of heat from the passing vehicles -- so it might do as well as the Blue Crisp Fern that is across the street.  The fern lived happily with its companion heuchera through the winter of 2012 and come spring they both flushed out with lots of new growth.  

But at any rate, I think it makes a neat summer container plant and would be happy indoors in a bright window, waiting to come back out next year.  And you guessed it -- not easy to find but worth the search.  

Blue Crisp Fern Hanging In There

I told you early in the season that I loved the Blue Crisp Fern.  It is big, bold and bodacious and now it looks like it is also tenacious.  I intentionally left this "tropical fern" in a container to see when it would finally give up -- what low temperature would take it away.  Well, we've had low 30's in Madison many days and it still looks great......

.....but I do have to say that this container is situated on a busy street with lots of traffic and surrounded by brick buildings, so there is a microclimate created that probably offers warmer temperatures.  Stay tuned to see how it fares the remainder of the winter.

Also had to show you the heuchera that is in with the fern.  'Golden Zebra' is truly showing its "stripes" on the side that gets more sun.

 

 

Now look at the one which gets total shade.....

 

 

Still pretty but not as vibrant. 

 

The Golden Zebra heuchera will definitely be part of another season's containers since it is a perennial -- but I'm counting on Blue Crisp Fern to be part of them also -- we'll see.

 





Great Ferns With Fun Names

My all time favorite perennial fern to use in a container or in the ground is Autumn Fern -- it's evergreen, tough, and adds so much to a finished arrangement.  But I do like to mix it up a little and use something different when I need a "lacy" look and that's when I go to my favorite annual fern Blue Crisp. 

Blue Crisp Fern - Polypodium aureum

Dusty blue fronds reaching 15-20 inches

Zones 10-11
Use as an annual in the garden and containers
Move indoors and provide bright light and even moisture










It is combined with Heucherella Golden Zebra and Lysimachia Persian Chocolate (and out of sight is also a Caladium "Moonlight") in this container on the corner of Main and Washington.   Because of its height it is also providing the linear aspect I needed in this arrangement. 

Blue Crisp is a tough plant and has been handling our minimal watering routine -- it is in a shady location so that helps -- but it does prefer to be kept moist.  I'd like to think that the moisture beads I put in the containers is helping here.  

A new fern for me this year is Kangaroo Fern (Microsorum pustulatum).  Looks very similar to Blue Crisp in leaf shape but it is much darker and shiney where Blue Crisp has a dusty appearance.  I combined it with Dragon Wing Begonia and Caladium "White Queen" in the container on Main and Washington near Ye Olde Colonnial.  It is still living but you would have to dig into the center of the pot to find it since it could not keep up with the aggressive begonia.  Another one is planted in the Welcome Center garden and doing very well by itself.  I'll use this fern again but be mindful to pair it with either smaller plants or slower growers. 

Kangaroo Fern can grow to be at least 2 feet by 3 feet but I'm not seeing that much growth in either the pot or in the ground and they are getting regular fertilizer.  This one would definitely make a great indoor plant and I'll give them a try this year to see if I can overwinter them.  Maybe with some size on them I'll be able to use them in containers where they are the star. 

I have not seen Kanagroo Fern readily available at nurseries but Blue Crisp does show up early in the season.  But because it is so unique it is quickly bought up by eager customers so if you are interested in using it next year, get there early.  It would also be a good idea to take the botanical name with you because I'm not sure that the nursery staff will recognize it by its common name.   Since most nurseries plan their buying way in advance of the season it might not be a bad idea to tell them now that you are interested.