Meet the Northern Maidenhair Fern
Northern Maidenhair Fern | Adiantum pedatum
How do you know it’s me?:
I am a deciduous, perennial fern, often growing in groups.
I first emerge as a red fiddlehead sprout.
My fine stems are glossy black or dark burgundy in color.
My fronds can be 8”-30” long. They are arranged in a fan shape around my main stem.
My fronds have a series of little leaf blades (roughly right triangle - wedge - shaped or oval) on either side of the stem, which get progressively smaller as they approach the tip.
The spores I produce in late summer are light brown and arranged in rows on the tips of my frond leaflets.
How big do I grow?: 1’ - 3’ height and 1' - 2' spread.
Sun-seeker or shade-lover: Part shade to full shade.
Where I prefer to put my roots: Rich, moist, and well-drained soils.
Hardiness: Zone 3-8
Original home: I am native to moist forests in northern and eastern North America, and parts of temperate East Asia.
Colors: Just my delicate green fronds.
When I bloom: I don’t! (Because I’m a fern). Instead, I produce spores in late summer to fall.
Wildlife friends: I provide shelter for frogs and lizards, and birds often use my fronds to construct their nests.
Flora Fun Facts: My shiny, dark stems have been used in basketry, and indigenous peoples created a tea from my leaves to treat certain respiratory conditions.
More Info: This Appalachian forest favorite is admired for its simple, delicate beauty. Each lace-like frond features symmetrical lines of thin, slightly curled foliage, all along a glossy dark stem. The bright green especially stands out after a rain storm, when it glitters with beads of water.
Member of the Pteridaceae family (the Brake family).
My name "Adiantum" comes from the Greek word meaning "unwetted."
Often found in deciduous forests in damp shady areas and along slopes.
Spreads by creeping underground plant stems (rhizomes) to produce large colonies over time.
Great selection for a woodland garden, naturalized area, container, or shade garden.
Needs consistent moisture or the fronds will start to turn brown.
