A Rare Fern in the Orchard

The other day I photographed what I assumed at the time was a group of about twenty tree seedlings coming up in the short grass of the orchard. Boy was I wrong about the identity of these little plants!

As soon as I posted this photo on Facebook a friend from Wales and another from south-east England identified it as Adder's Tongue Fern Ophioglossum vulgatum (Fr. Langue de serpent). I could hardly believe it! A rare and protected fern suddenly appears in the orchard. I have no idea where it's come from and I've never seen it before anywhere, despite spending lots of time with botanists and seeing many rare and protected plants here.

My friend English friend Chris commented that it is a plant whose presence indicates well managed meadow. It is widespread but scattered in lowland France, and not common. Here in Centre-Val de Loire it is rare and protected, but it is the sort of plant that is prone to being under-recorded because it is small and not showy. In the Brenne the fern is recorded along roadsides and grasslands on poor soil, often in places that get both very wet and very dry in the course of the year.

At yesterday's botany outing everyone was super impressed that I had Ophioglossum in my orchard. Jean B went round telling everyone, and Dominque T, one of our star botanists, was particularly interested.

************************************************

For details of our private guided tours of chateaux, gardens, wineries, markets and more please visit the Loire Valley Time Travel website. We would be delighted to design a tour for you.

We are also on Instagram, so check us out to see a regularly updated selection of our very best photos.