Imagine you’re making your way through a massive swamp forest: enormous trees standing high overhead, the drone of giant insects echoing through your ears. This is a completely alien world to us, but it is in fact Earth of the distant past.

This is the Carboniferous Period of 300 million years ago, a pivotal turning point in Earth’s evolution. From the warm and wet climate, terrestrial plants boomed and radiated into many prosperous species.

We've learned much about this incredible period of history by studying the fossils left behind by plants. While most are eaten or decay, a lucky few plants are buried in sediment and given the chance to be preserved in stone forever.

This specimen is one of those fossilized plants from the Carboniferous, a snapshot of 300,000,000 years of history.

This fossil is completely unique and features the imprint of a prehistoric plant in incredible detail. The fossils in our collection were sourced from a Carboniferous era coal bed and each has its own plant encased within the stone.

Each specimen ships in a sturdy carton along with a certificate of authenticity and a small informational photocard. Each comes with a handsome black stand, so they are ready for display right out of the box.

We have several of these fossil plant plates available and each is a one-of-a-kind specimen of a different plant. Stems, leaves, and even bark can be seen in the different display pieces. You can see all available fossil plants in the collection below!

The Carboniferous Period lasted from around 350 to 300 million years ago and is the source of many coal deposits in the modern day. This time was marked by a warm climate and a boom of plant and animal life across Earth's landmasses. Lush forests, massive insects, and even early reptiles were common finds.

One of the most iconic groups of plants from this time is the fern, one of the earliest vascular plants which dominated the ecosystem. Ferns have a kind of organic highway for nutrients, called a vascular system, with the xylem tissue distributing water from the plant’s roots, and the phloem which conducts minerals produced during photosynthesis to the rest of the plant.

This is an incredibly efficient system, which we can tell by the relatively unchanged forms of ferns over the years. You could even say that some species exist in evolutionary stasis, able to adapt to so many enviroments that they haven't had to change for millions of years.

Unlike some other plants, ferns lack flowers and fruits. This is because their reproductive cycle is based on casting spores into the wind. A fertile fern will produce pockets of spores on their exterior, which can be cast away by wind, rain, or animals. These spores eventually germinate and grow into new plants on their own.

This process is actually even older than the seed-based life cycle we might expect of most plants. This is yet another example of how ancient ferns truly are.