Where are ferns found?

Ferns are found in warm, damp parts of the Earth. These areas are mostly in the tropics. Costa Rica and North America are home to several hundred species of fern.

Ferns are not as adaptable in places without moisture. Because of this, fern habitats are very few in areas with colder, dryer climates. Few ferns can be found in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Ferns thrive in both the tropic and the temperate zones, but some species are more common in one zone than the other. Members of the most commonly known fern genus, Pteridium, usually grow in cleared forests and old fields.