1. Human food: Young leaves of Pteris are used as vegetable. The starchy stems and rhizomes of the fern are used as food. Kale and collard greens are favorite vegetables.
2. Animal Feed: Several species of Pteris are used as livestock feed. However, eating harmful and poisonous Pteris causes death of livestock. This is why Pteris is sometimes called a noxious and poisonous weed.
3. Fuel: Coal, oil and natural gas are obtained from the fossils of tree ferns which are used as fuel.
4. The medicine is ready
(i) Lycopodium, Equisetum etc. are medicinal ferns. Homeopathic medicine is made from it.
(ii) Unani herbal medicines are prepared from ferns. These drugs are used in the treatment of ulcers, rheumatic fever, intestinal lesions etc.
(iii) Young stems of ferns are used as anthelmintics.
(iv) Marsilean obtained from Marsilea is used to treat neuralgia.
(v) Medicines for liver diseases are prepared from Selaginella botryoides.
(vi) Herba equisini medicine obtained from Equisetum arvense helps to treat blood purification and urinary tract diseases.
(vii) Medicine for gonorrhea is prepared from Equisetum debile.
5. Beautification: Fern plants are used in various events, home decoration, garden beautification etc. Lycopodium obscurum, also known as Christmas green, is used as a beautifier in Christmas celebrations. Lycopodium, Selaginella etc. are used for decoration.
6. Production of chemicals: Ferns can be used to produce essential chemicals. Potash is obtained from Dryopteris and silicon from Equisetum. Potash is used to make soap and glass.
7. As Fertilizers: Some species of Terris are used as fertilizers on land.
8. Furniture Polish: Equisetum is used in wooden furniture polish.
9. Fireworks: Molecules of Lycopodium burn and emit colorful light. Hence it is called flint plant. Flint plant is used to make fireworks.
10. Antibiotics: Pteri absorb large amounts of arsenic from the soil. So it can be used to treat depression caused by arsenic.