What Is the American Fern Society?

The American Fern Society (AFS) is an international organization founded in 1893 that promotes interest in the cultivation, conservation, and study of ferns and lycophytes. It is based at amerfernsoc.org and describes itself as one of the largest international fern clubs in the world, with over 500 members globally. It suits anyone—hobbyist or professional—who wants to learn about ferns, exchange specimens and information with other growers, or read both general-interest and scientific material on ferns.

What the Society covers

AFS focuses on pteridophytes, a grouping it defines as two distinct lineages of vascular land plants:

• Lycophytes — quillworts (family Isoetaceae), spike mosses (family Selaginellaceae), and club mosses (family Lycopodiaceae)
• Ferns — horsetails (family Equisetaceae), whisk ferns (family Psilotaceae), and the 10,000+ species traditionally considered ferns

The society's stated objective is fostering interest in these plants, and it pursues that through member exchange of information and specimens.

Core activities

Publications

AFS produces several publications:

Spore exchange

Members have access to spore collections from hundreds of fern species from around the world. The society maintains a spore inventory and a spore collection protocol; both are available for review on its site.

Fern Forays

AFS sponsors Fern Forays every summer, held in conjunction with the annual Botany meetings. These provide opportunities to learn about wild ferns from experts and to meet other people with a similar interest in ferns.

Membership and access

The site references subscription agents, indicating that subscriptions (including institutional ones) are part of how the society operates. Membership is what unlocks the spore exchange and the publications program, so if your goal is to obtain spores or receive the journals, joining is the relevant step. The site does not state pricing on the pages summarized here, so check the subscription or membership pages directly for current terms.

Where to start

• If you want spores: review the spore inventory and spore collection protocol first, then confirm your membership status.
• If you want reading material: look at the Fiddlehead Forum for general interest or the American Fern Journal for research.
• If you want field experience: watch for the summer Fern Foray announcement tied to the annual Botany meetings.