Ferns differ from flowering plants mainly in the way that they reproduce. They have fronds instead of true leaves, and some ferns grow into a tree-like form that can be 24 m tall. Microscopic spores are produced on the underside of the fronds, and these are scattered by the wind. When the spores land in a suitably damp area, they sprout and grow into a tiny flat plant that develops small reproductive structures. Sperms fertilize the egg cell, which begins to grow as the tiny plant shrivels and dies, and the complete fern begins to develop. Ferns’ delicate reproductive parts can only survive in a moist atmosphere, so these plants only grow in damp places.
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