Adiantum pedatum

Adiantum pedatum: Feathery Fronds, Surprisingly Tough

Bright green fans on wiry purple-black stems, floating like they're posing for a botanical print. Maidenhair Fern is native, delicate-looking and far tougher than its hairdo suggests. THE BEST HAIR IN THE SHADE GARDEN.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Adiantum pedatum
• Common Name: Northern Maidenhair Fern
• Height: 30–60 cm (1–2 ft)
• Spread: 30–60 cm (1–2 ft)
• Flowers: None; ferns reproduce by spores
• Foliage: Bright green, fan-shaped fronds on wiry, glossy purple-black stems
• Features: Rabbit resistant

Where to Plant: Plant it in woodland gardens, shady borders or along a north-facing wall. It's a good choice for the cool side of the house where lawn gives up. It spreads slowly by short rhizomes into a soft, dense patch, so give it a little room.

Companion Plants: Build a shady woodland bed around this native maidenhair with plants that grow in the same moist, leafy soil. Cornus canadensis carpets the ground at 10 to 20 cm with white bracts in May and June and red berries later. Carex pensylvanica adds fine, arching blades at 15 to 30 cm, a native sedge that handles dry shade too. Athyrium filix-femina brings lacy lady fern fronds at 60 to 90 cm. Aralia 'Sun King' lights up the back with gold leaves at 90 to 180 cm and cream flowers from July to September.

Plant Care: Plant in rich, humus-filled, moist but well-drained soil. Add leaf mould or compost at planting time. Keep it out of hot afternoon sun, which burns the fronds, and water during dry spells, especially in its first year. It takes two or three seasons to settle in and fill out, so be patient. Cut the old fronds back in late fall or early spring, before the new fiddleheads appear. Divide in early spring if you want to spread it around.

History: Northern maidenhair fern grows wild in rich, moist hardwood forests across eastern North America, including Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes. The genus name comes from the Greek for unwetted, since water beads up and rolls off the fronds.

Final Thoughts: No flowers, no fuss, no deer, just fronds fanning themselves under the trees. ZERO PRODUCT. ALL NATURAL VOLUME.