A GREEN thumbs up

20-year-old fern calls Mimosa Park patio home

Photo by Heather R. Breaux

When Fayla Breaux of Luling pulled a newly sprouted fern bud from the ground over 20 years ago, little did she know that the tiny greenery would survive three transplants, Hurricane Katrina and grow to be nearly 5 feet tall.

Breaux says that the monstrous fern, which measures a little over 22 feet in circumference, is likely to be a descendent of the Boston fern family and points out that there’s no special trick to cultivating a healthy and unusually large fern.

“I water the fern once a week and let it fill up until the bottom of the wood-barrel pot it sits in begins to drip,” she said. “Each winter I shield it from any cold winds or hard frosts, but it always stays outside.”

Breaux says that the fern usually dies off a little in the colder months, but always makes a come back each spring.

“Each year it gets bigger and bigger,” she continued.

Breaux says that the plant also attracts wildlife.

“The fern is always full of lizards and occasionally I’ll even find a bird in there.”