Holly Hill

Holly Hill Historic house and farm in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Not open to the public. DM for information.

Lights … Camera … actually, not yet. But getting there!
12/13/2025

Lights … Camera … actually, not yet. But getting there!

09/17/2025

Own a historic home? Join MHT and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development for the virtual Roadshow for Homeowners! On September 25 at 12:30pm, you’ll have the chance to learn about tax credits, loans, and other financial resources to help repair and revitalize your historic property directly from the people who administer the programs.

To register, visit bit.ly/411tenw.

Have questions? Email Brenna Spray at [email protected].

09/15/2025
If you know, you know. If you don’t know but might like to, please DM or comment.
06/27/2025

If you know, you know. If you don’t know but might like to, please DM or comment.

Turnip and Cassie cuddling. Thanks for the photo, Paul Walker!
02/28/2025

Turnip and Cassie cuddling. Thanks for the photo, Paul Walker!

02/28/2025
11/08/2024

Ferns are resilient!

Ferns are some of the coolest, most persistent plants in existence. Let’s explore a little bit about why ferns make great foliage for native gardens and look at some of the benefits of having them planted in your preferred gardening place.

Not only do ferns provide foraging space for ground-feeding birds, but they also provide shelter for them as well as for some species of turtles, frogs, and toads. In this article we will provide you with some of our Maryland Native species and a brief description of each.

First, a little history about ferns. If we can imagine what Planet Earth looked like about 390 million years ago, it was a hot and humid world where ferns began to become the dominant plant species. By comparison, flowering plants have β€œonly” been around for about 130 million years. Ferns evolved from a now extinct group of plants called Rhyniopsida. The plants in Rhyniopsida didn’t have any leaves; instead they photosynthesized with their stems and branches. As plants evolved, Rhynopsida gave way to ferns, which means that the first plants with leaves came to exist.

This poses an interesting question; If ferns have been around for almost 400 million years, why is it that barely anything eats them? Some studies have demonstrated that some ferns have a toxin called ptaquiloside and some have a toxin called thiaminase. These toxins likely make the ferns less desirable than most of the surrounding forest foliage even though it isn’t lethal in small amounts.

Some of the Native Ferns we encourage planting are:
Northern Maidenhair Fern (π΄π‘‘π‘–π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘š π‘π‘’π‘‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘š)
Christmas fern (π‘ƒπ‘œπ‘™π‘¦π‘ π‘‘π‘–π‘β„Žπ‘’π‘š π‘Žπ‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘ π‘‘π‘–π‘β„Žπ‘œπ‘–π‘‘π‘’π‘ )
Hay-Scented Fern (π·π‘’π‘›π‘›π‘ π‘‘π‘Žπ‘’π‘‘π‘‘π‘–π‘Ž π‘π‘’π‘›π‘π‘‘π‘–π‘™π‘œπ‘π‘’π‘™π‘Ž)
Lady Fern (π΄π‘‘β„Žπ‘¦π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘’π‘š 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑖π‘₯-π‘“π‘’π‘šπ‘–π‘›π‘Ž)
Royal Fern (π‘‚π‘ π‘šπ‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘Ž π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘”π‘Žπ‘™π‘–π‘ )
Wood Fern (π·π‘Ÿπ‘¦π‘œπ‘π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘  π‘šπ‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘”π‘–π‘›π‘Žπ‘™π‘–π‘ )

Check out the following links for more fern-tastic information!

https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2022/08/10/native-plant-profile-yours-frondly-ferns/

https://science.jrank.org/pages/2685/Ferns-Evolution.html

https://loudounwildlife.org/2018/07/native-ferns-have-a-place-in-our-plantings-for-wildlife

https://njaes.rutgers.edu/deer-resistant-plants

https://www.amerfernsoc.org/about-ferns

Photo: Ranger Elena Gilroy, Maryland Park Service

05/29/2024
We do too, Lizzo
05/11/2024

We do too, Lizzo

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Friendship, MD
20758

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