Our Ferns

Our Ferns

Many have asked what inspired our Habitude Logo. As a young girl, I ran through sword ferns for hours in the greenbelt behind our house. Nothing says Northwest like the sun glistening through the old growth trees and sparkling on these ancient plants. I always felt like a medicine woman, healing bouts of nettles by rubbing the powerful fern spores on little red ankles and knees. Or a Shaman, creating wild headdresses of sword ferns for dancing around the fire.

Ferns are ancient plants that developed before flowering plants. A fern doesn’t produce seeds directly, but rather develops spores that grow in cases, called sori, generally appearing as dots on the backs of fertile leaves. Rows of orange-brown shield-covered sori are easily visible on the backs of the fertile fronds.

The spores, when released, do not develop directly into ferns, but rather grow into a tiny leaf-like structure called a prothallium. The prothallium produces eggs and sperm that unite to generate new ferns. It takes several years for a fern to grow from a spore. Our mission, to love and amaze our customers, speaks to this releasing of spores out into our community to generate new customers and new relationships that brighten our world. And building those solid relationships takes time, effort and devotion!

The leaves and roots of ferns grow from underground rhizomes that can be extensive and live for many years. Though the leaves, or fronds, of many ferns die back in winter, the rhizome survives to sprout new fronds in spring. This seasonality of ferns speaks to the life cycle that we feel with our customers. Lightning for summer, darkening for winter. Connecting with our guests for each of the important rites of passage in their lives-birth, kindergarten, prom, marriage, and motherhood.

Notice how the ferns join in the circle blowing into a subtle H in the logo…signifying our connection to our Habitude-or our state of body and mind!