Spore Exchange
“The life of the Exchange depends on your spore contributions.
— Neill Hall, Spore Exchange curator (1962–88)
We are in need of fresh spores! If you are interested in donating spores please visit our spore collecting page.
Background
One of the goals of the American Fern Society is to promote the cultivation of ferns. The AFS Spore Exchange makes hundreds of ferns available that would otherwise be unobtainable for most members. This spore exchange is made possible through a collaboration with the Hardy Fern Foundation, following the merger of the HFF Spore Exchange with the AFS Spore Exchange in 2025. The spores from the ferns listed in the exchange have all been donated by members of the AFS or HFF. Members can share spores from rare or endangered ferns thereby safeguarding the species so that our grandchildren may also enjoy these beautiful plants.
Cost to Order
The AFS Spore Exchange is open to AFS members, as well as members of HFF. Spore packets may be ordered for $1 each (USD), plus postage and a handling charge to cover PayPal fees (payments made by check do not incur this fee). Payments via PayPal are preferred, but check is also acceptable. Requests are limited to 20 packets per member per year.
How to Order
Ensure that you are a member in good standing of AFS (by visiting this link and selecting “View my Dashboard”). If you are not a member and would like to join the American Fern Society, please visit the same link and select “Join the Society or Renew Your Membership”.
Complete the order form (please choose: editable PDF or Word), including the order number of each species you are interested in, which you can find on the spore inventory form.
Email your completed form to:
Brian Aikins
AFS Spore Exchange Curator
spores.afs@comcast.netBrian will respond to you with confirmation and payment information to complete your order. Please note that he typically checks email once per day.
Banner image (Adenophorus tenellus sporangia and paraphyses) by Tom Ranker.