In his book ‘A Guide to Hardy Ferns’ (BPS Special Publication No. 1), which appeared in 1984, Richard Rush made the point that there was still much to learn about the hardiness of many ferns. You can help us to improve our knowledge by completing this questionnaire for ferns that you grow outside in the UK

The questionnaire aims to collect the postcode locations of those non-native ferns that have been successfully overwintered outside for at least one winter and, preferably, for longer. Please include ferns planted in the ground or in containers and pots that are left outside. Also include those in a shade tunnel or which are protected with straw or fleece. Do not include those in a polytunnel or those that are moved indoors or under glass for any part of the winter.

Please fill out the questionnaires which you can find here or in the right hand margin

Pleae read this explanation for how we record and place your location on the map

In order to help you catalogue your ferns, there is a Check List of the non-native ferns currently known in cultivation that you can print out on one sheet of paper and take around your garden to tick off what you have

We have used those names which we think will be most familiar to fern growers. However, there are many synonyms in use and there have been major changes in nomenclature in the Blechnaceae, Cheilanthes and other ferns. A table listing many of these names can be searched to give both old and new names and is available here or in the right hand margin

You can look at the data, as it is accrued, in several ways here or in the right hand margin