Sometimes you pass the oak trees along the road, and they are covered with crusty dead ferns along the shady branches. These ferns, Pleopeltis polypodioides, are epiphytes: they get their nutrients and water from the air. They are often found with spanish moss on Live Oak trees.

And then sometimes, those same ferns are lush and green, open to the dappled light from the tree above. Known as Resurrection Fern, this epiphyte can survive for long periods of time without water. The cell walls of the plant fold up in a way that can be reversed by water, (a process which is being studied to see what practical implications it may have!).

At this time of year, afternoon rains often miss some branches while thoroughly hydrating others. This link will take you to a time lapse video of the ferns rehydrating (if you don’t want lots of factual information, skip ahead to the 2 minute mark). Both of the photos above were taken on the same tree.