It’s the mid-1800s and pteridomania – or fern frenzy – is the new big craze.  

Across the UK, plant enthusiasts are heading into the countryside to pick all the prized specimens they can find.  

And fern fans far and wide are avidly creating collections and displays of the leafy green plants to show off.  

Uncover the truth about this Victorian phenomenon and how it influenced our love of house plants.  

But who were the pteridomaniacs? What did ferns secretly symbolise about young women and sex? And how can we learn from the conservation consequences of the craze?

 

Join Presenter and Ranger Rosie Holdsworth and Curator Clara Woolford to unfurl the curious story of Victorian fern fever. 

 

Quick breathers, calming walks or heart-pounding hikes. We feel better when we get out more.   

Find quality kit and 50 years of outdoor wisdom. Plus, supporters save 15% in-store and online. Feel in your element, in the elements, at Cotswold Outdoor.  

https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/  

Discover more:   

Visit Cragside in Northumberland for a taste of fern fever. See the fernery, rockery and glass houses designed by Lady Armstrong in the 1800s, now cared for by the National Trust.  

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/north-east/cragside

Production: 

Host: Rosie Holdsworth  

Producer: Michelle Douglass 

Sound Editor: Jesus Gomez 

 

Follow Wild Tales nature podcast on your favourite podcast app or on Instagram @wildtalesnt. If you'd like to get in touch with feedback, or have a story idea you’d love to hear, contact us at [email protected]