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“Pic of the Week”, December 19, 2014: Ferns, Hawaii

POD 05a Ferns, Volcano House

The vegetation around the Visitor’s Center in Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii’s Big Island is in a cool tropical rainforest.  Situated at 4000′ above sea level (1220m) there’s a lush growth here including ferns of several varieties.  Some ferns are only inches tall, struggling for survival in the volcanic rock.  Others are up to 35 ft (10 m) in height, the size of a small tree.

While walking to the visitor center, I came across a thick patch of ferns, one of the larger ones including a lot of new growth that we in Canada like to call “fiddleheads”.  I’m not sure about this variety, but fiddleheads can make excellent eating.  Regardless of their culinary value, I’m fond of walking in forests rich in ferns and visiting this one was a treat!

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