Fern And Bromeliad Fever

Specialising in indigenous and non-indigenous ferns and epiphytic ferns such as staghorns and imported bromeliads.

As a young radiologist, Dr Chris Myburgh discovered his passion for plants, initially ferns, on a trip to Mpumalanga. In the misty vales around Sabie he saw a plant that intrigued him so much he was compelled to find out what it was. Stopping at a local nursery he not only had it identified, but he bought three young Cyathea dregei, the indigenous tree ferns he had spotted earlier on the trip. This was the spark that piqued his curiosity and a desire to learn more.

“I did a bunch of research,” says Chris, “and this ultimately led to me joining the Fern Society of South Africa, where I met the late Jimmy Punter, a legend in fern cultivation, who became a friend and later a business partner.”

A new business begins

“I used to buy baby ferns from Punter’s farm in Polokwane and grow them up,” Chris explains. These more mature plants he would then sell on the side of the road out of the back of a bakkie.

“When I met Carol, my wife to be, we found a property just off Lynnwood Road, Pretoria, that I just knew I could turn into a fern haven,” he reminisces. In 1993, Fernhaven Nursery opened to the public and also began selling wholesale to other nurseries and landscapers.