Philippine Gardens
(A special section on flowers and ornamental plants)
Interest in Birdsnest Aspleniums has been around for many decades. During the 60’s they were using the Asplenium musaefoliums as a back draft for fashion Photo shoots. The models are even made to stand in the middle of giant Aspleniums.
The interest in Aspleniums was sustained during the 70’s with the introduction of new biotype of Asplenium musaefolium by Ely Bardenas, a landscaper. He called it “Silver Wings”. About the same time, the plant collectors started collecting furcata forms of Asplenium colubrinums (Pakpaklawing lalaki). Some gatherers grew them to spore-forming size and the sporelings popup allover their gardens. This resulted in the Philippines as the main source of furcata (Forking) Aspleniums to the fern world.
During the 80,s Ely Bardenas brought in the Asplenium nidus plicatum (Lasagnaform) from Vietnam. By 1999 the plant has won 3 times in different shows as Zipper fern.
During the start of the millennium, a gatherer collected a super plicated form of Asplenium australasicum from Cebu. The plant was in a very nice state and was being sold for Peso 350,000. The plant was not sold. The plant produced a small amount of spores, and on a dare was subject to a challenge to propagate from spores. A small amount of spores was extracted before the proud owner. That started the interest in fern propagation in the Philippines.
The Asplenium australasicum “Philippine Cobra” has since been a favorite among the fern growers because of its very attractive lasagna-form placations. This was followed by several forms of Asplenium musaefolium plicatum lasagnaforms from miniatures to medium and giants.
Prices of collectible plants including ferns drop few years after the first product is launched. A lot of growers wanted the lasagna ferns are waiting for the price to drop.
It never did. The interest in the plant has grown so fast that production has not caught up.
Other varieties of lasagnaform Aspleniums started coming into the market. This will keep up the interest in lasagna Aspleniums through the next decade.