One of the things I like about New Zealand is its lush greenery and the many native bush and forests that can often be seen throughout the country.

I enjoy walking in the bush and looking at the ferns in their many different stages of growth. I can find so much beauty even in the ferns as they start to die off.

Ferns are ancient. They have neither flowers nor seeds. Their beauty comes from form and colour. Ferns bear spores on the backs of their leaves.

Spores are produced on all leaves or only some. They are tiny and dust-like; the number of spores from one frond amounting to millions. The air where ferns grow is full of spores that are capable of surviving for very long periods before germinating. The dark brown and sometimes red, spore-bearing fronds of many ferns create an interesting contrast with the other green leaves.

Ferns are typically found in moist forested areas although some hardy species can be found in coastal, urban, and even in desert locations. They vary in form and size.

New Zealand has around 164 different fern species many of which are widespread.