plant · GBIF taxon 2651832
Maidenhair Fern
Adiantum pedatumAlso known as Northern Maidenhair Fern, Five-finger Fern, American Maidenhair Fern
Northern maidenhair ferns feature delicate, fan-shaped fronds arranged in a distinctive horseshoe-like curve atop wiry, polished black stems. These elegant plants thrive in rich, moist deciduous forests, often colonizing damp slopes, ravines, and limestone outcrops. Their unique foliage sheds water easily, a characteristic that gives the genus its name, which translates to unwetted.
Shade-lovingDeciduousPerennial
- diet
- Autotrophic (Photosynthesis)
- family
- Pteridaceae
- threats
- Habitat destruction, invasive species competition, and over-collection for gardens
- life Span
- Perennial (can live for decades via rhizomes)
LC
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- Soil moisture: Maintain consistently moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter if growing them.
- Frond care: Avoid touching the delicate fronds, as they bruise easily and can turn brown.
- Shade protection: Provide deep to partial shade to mimic their natural forest understory habitat.