Funny Dancing Fern (video)

I haven't shared anything here for a while, but when I came across this oddity today, I thought of how my friends here at ATS would get a kick out of it!

I was hiking out on the Baker Lake Trail (located on Baker lake, in the Cascade Mountains in Washington State) when I rounded a corner and saw some movement. Thinking an animal was about to jump out; I stopped. When nothing happened, but the 'rustling' foliage began moving even more earnestly, I started watching with interest. I know I have seen video of this before, but I've never seen it in person. There was one lone fern prong, twisting and waving almost violently, while all of the bushes around remained still. As you can see from when I pan around a little, further out a few small leaves move just slightly, but there wasn't a steady breeze. It was a very hot, muggy day today. As it continued, I decided to film it for a bit. I didn't hang around because I had already lost my hiking partner and to be honest....I was absolutely beat and already on automatic pilot in order to just complete the 12 mile voyage!

Here is an article: www.dailymail.co.uk... about a similar occurrence. What I got from that mumble-jumbo though, is that they really don't know.


Here it is. Enjoy!

a reply to: westcoast

I've seen that type of action before in one of Arnold's movies.
Good thing you left the area quickly while you still had your hide.

a reply to: westcoast

That was strange. Maybe there was a mole under there trying to work around it? I live in Pierce county and used to go hiking a lot, never saw that happen. Thanks for sharing this.

Ferns have saved me from a bad fall from a creek bank.
Ferns and me, we get along fine.

Strange little creatures.

Here's one, guess it's something they do.

a reply to: westcoast

We'll put a happy little tree here,
Oh and look a happy little water fall just right... what Bob Ross, a water fall doesn't fit.. Oh..

And we'll put a happy little dancing fern right here.
There we go.

What in the world?

Ok - this does weird me out a bit.

Mostly because there are OTHER videos of the same thing. One in particular that is clearly moving in such a way that it cannot be happening from a creature in the ground below it.



There are others too. At this point, I'm just thinking (assuming these aren't all hoaxes) that there might be some reflexive, genetic factor that upon some certain stage of maturation causes this kind of dancing movement to further help spread it's spores. Still, if that's the case, then plants just got that more interesting.

Great catch on video!
I've seen it happen in our lane, the edges of which are lined with ferns. I always assumed it was a mechanism for spreading spores.

a reply to: westcoast

Hi westcoast,

Haven't seen you in a while. Hope all is going well with you and yours.

I have seen these video's also. Guess it's critters underground burrowing.

If I saw this I too would be curious. Kinda creepy.


I have those little mole holes around and lots of ferns. I will be paying more attention to see if I can spot this kind of activity in my own woods.

Triffids people triffids , dont look at any lights in the sky .

a reply to: hutch622

Ha Ha...

I have never seen the movie. I'm sure it's "Creature feature" material.

Sorry I had the link, and now I can't link. POO POO



en.wikipedia.org...

Now I got it.

a reply to: crappiekat

I have never seen the movie. I'm sure it's "Creature feature" material.

Do yourself a favour and read the book .

a reply to: hutch622

Thanks, I will take that advice.

Book always better than movies.

a reply to: westcoast

This is a good one too. I either forgot about the dancing fern or this is something new for me, but I think this behaviour is really cool. Now I want to go find me a dancing fern

I watched The Happening, this past Saturday afternoon. This reminded me of that movie a bit.

Wow! Thanks for all of the responses, and the other videos.

As to this being a result of an animal burrowing underneath it...I just don't think so. It's hard to explain, but before I turned the video on (I stood there entranced for a while first) The top of the fern was literally twisting around, side to side in the opposite direction that the base of the fern was moving. You can still see that a bit in the video, especially at the beginning of it.

If the plant were being moved at the base (or underground) I think it would be more of a shaking motion. The whole frond seemed to be moving independently, and even against itself. This is totally my opinion, but I really had a sense of the plant having purposeful behavior, meaning that it was controlling its motion.

I have seen/read a lot of literature alluding to awareness in plants and I really have to say that I buy into that much more, after this experience!

originally posted by: westcoast


I have seen/read a lot of literature alluding to awareness in plants and I really have to say that I buy into that much more, after this experience!

I'm with you there. I love how plants feel.
They are like stretch stretch stretch giggle into the Sun!! Some of them are like that.
I lost my ability to hear them now though. Too much computer time I think.

a reply to: diggindirt

Never thought of that; it would make sense.

Fascinating videos indeed. I would propose an hypothesis.

In each of the videos there is some evidence that there is indeed a bit of wind blowing. Leaves on surrounding plants are actually moving a bit, not a lot, but a bit. The fern frond is sticking up above the rest of the foliage - sticking up just like a sail on a sailing vessel.

My hypothesis is that there is just enough wind to set the frond moving - it wouldn't take much - and just enough tension in the fronds structure so that it acts like a spring. I'd guess that there is a sweet spot relating the strength of the wind and the spring in the frond to set up a movement much like a standing wave.

The phenomenon may actually have a 'purpose' for the frond - perhaps it is releasing spores into the wind during the dance or something.