Southern maidenhair fern

Sun

Partial to full shade; protect from hot afternoon sun and drying wind.

Water

Keep the root zone consistently moist. Do not let container compost dry out, but avoid stagnant, waterlogged conditions.

Soil

Humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil with good drainage; particularly well suited to neutral or alkaline soil and damp limestone crevices.

Height

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Foliage

Evergreen. Light to mid-green, wedge-shaped or fan-shaped leaflets with lobed outer edges, carried on slender, glossy dark brown to black stalks.

Growth

Moderate where moisture is reliable; slow in cool or dry conditions.

Care needed

Medium

• Deer resistant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Needs looking after

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.1 ft (0.34 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.2 ft (0.38 m)

4. After 3 years

   1.4 ft (0.42 m)

5. After 5 years

   1.5 ft (0.45 m)

   full size

About 4 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US, Canada, the UK and Australia

Growth rate

Slow

• Water before the root zone dries out, especially during warm weather and in pots.
• Shelter from drying winds, strong sun and exposed frost pockets.
• Apply a thin layer of leaf mould in spring, keeping it clear of the crown.
• Feed container plants lightly with a balanced liquid fertiliser during active growth; established plants in rich soil need little feeding.
• Divide crowded clumps in spring, keeping roots moist throughout the work.
• Move pots into frost-free shelter where winter temperatures fall below the plant's tolerance.

Pruning. Cut dead or winter-damaged fronds at their bases in late winter or early spring, before new growth unfurls. Leave healthy green fronds in place.

Early spring

Remove dead fronds carefully without damaging emerging shoots.

Spring

Plant or divide in a sheltered, shaded spot and water thoroughly.

Late spring

Mulch lightly with leaf mould and begin light feeding of container plants.

Summer

Check soil moisture frequently and water before the roots dry out.

Autumn

Clear fallen leaves that form a heavy, wet mat over the crown.

Winter

Keep roots moist and protect containers from hard frost and cold wind.

• Tuck into shaded limestone crevices or a damp retaining wall where water reaches the roots.
• Plant beside a shaded seep or stream, above the permanently submerged edge.
• Use at the front of a sheltered woodland border with broad-leaved shade plants for contrasting texture.
• Grow in a shaded courtyard container where the fine fronds can be seen close up.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Moss and fern garden, Secret garden, Modern courtyard, Green on green and Small-space.

Plant it with: Hart's-tongue fern, Lady fern, Hosta, Astilbe and Common primrose.

Wildlife: Provides small-scale shelter for invertebrates in damp, shaded places. It produces spores rather than flowers, so offers no nectar or pollen.

• Brown, brittle fronds usually indicate dry roots, hot sun or drying wind; restore steady moisture and provide deeper shelter.
• Blackened or collapsed fronds after frost indicate cold damage; leave the crown undisturbed and remove dead growth in spring.
• Slugs and snails can damage emerging fronds; inspect at dusk, remove them by hand and reduce nearby hiding places.
• Root or crown rot can develop in stagnant, saturated compost; improve drainage and keep the crown out of standing water.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. No part is recognised as poisonous, but it is not a food plant and eating foliage may cause stomach upset.

• Delta maidenhair fern (Adiantum raddianum)

  Usually sold as a houseplant and much less cold tolerant. Its spore-bearing patches beneath the leaflet margins are rounded or kidney-shaped, whereas those of southern maidenhair are elongated along the outer edges.

• Northern maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum)

  Its stalk divides into a distinctive horseshoe-like arrangement of spreading branches; southern maidenhair has more loosely triangular, divided fronds.

Adiantum comes from Greek meaning 'unwetted', referring to the water-shedding foliage, while capillus-veneris means 'hair of Venus', referring to the fine dark stalks.

Propagation. Divide established clumps in spring, retaining several growing points and healthy roots on each piece. It can also be raised from spores sown on moist, clean compost under humid conditions, though this is slow.

Accepted botanical name

Adiantum capillus-veneris

In the US and Canada

Native in Canada, Hawaii, the lower 48 states and Puerto Rico.

Native range

Afghanistan, Alabama, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Arizona, Arkansas, Assam, Azores, Bahamas, Baleares and Bangladesh.

Measured

Average height 33 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.