We live in an ever changing world, and due to that relentless change many species have come and gone.  This week I want to talk about a species that is struggling to keep up.  This plant at first glance looks you should be growing it in your herb garden, rather than on a precarious cliff side.  This weeks Plant of the Week is Anogramma ascensionis or the Ascension Island Parsley Fern.

Found only on a small island in the South Atlantic Ocean, Ascension, where it gets its name from.  The Ascension Island Parsley Fern was thought to have gone extinct 57 years ago.  Thankfully a group of botanist found a small cluster of the ferns clinging to the side of an unstable cliff on the island.  Rightfully excited by their find, the botanists tended to the ferns for weeks by repelling down the side of the cliff.  The spores of the fern were then collected and sent to the Royal Botanic Garden in the United Kingdom to be propagated.  Though other clusters have been found, the ferns are short lived and there is thought to be as few as 40 remaining on the planet.  The primary cause for their steady population decline is non-native weeds introduced onto the island.

Let this Plant of the Week be a stern eye opener or reminder to all.  Do not move plant life you do not know from location to location.  Not all plants flourish the same and what was once harmless in one environment could ruin the ecosystem of another.  Humans are the leading cause for the spread of plant disease, insect infestation and invasive species!

Check these websites here and here if you are interested in reading more about this little fighter!  Have a wonderful Holiday season and dream of dirt under your fingernails, wet spring days and the flush of spring growth that is to come!