Walking ferns

In the shadier corners of the laurel forest on La Palma, the ferns walk about.

Sort of.

Woodwardia ferns live in the damper parts of the forest. You can find them along the river bed at Los Tilos, and in the irrigated garden around the visitor centre. They have enormous fronds, anything up to a metre long. When the tip of a frond touches the ground, it often sprouts roots, and a new plant grows from the tip of the old one. This can happen over and over again, so that, eventually, plant walks down the hillside.

I really have to write some fantasy stories set in the laurel forest.

Posted by sheila

Sheila came to La Palma with a six month contract and has stayed 24 years so far. She used to work as a software engineer at the observatory, but now she's a writer and Starlight guide.