Plant · GBIF taxon 8087456
California Maidenhair Fern
Adiantum jordaniiAlso known as California Maidenhair
California maidenhair ferns carpet shaded canyon walls and woodland banks with delicate, fan-shaped pinnules borne on wiry, dark purplish-black stems. Unlike many of its evergreen relatives, this fern is summer-deciduous, drying to brittle brown fronds during hot, arid months before bursting into vivid green growth with the arrival of winter rains. Its creeping rhizomes anchor into moist rocky outcrops, providing subtle soil stabilization across chaparral and oak woodland understories.
Native FernShade LoverSummer Dormant
—observations
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—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Photosynthesis
Predators
- Garden slugs
- Land snails
- Herbivorous insect larvae
ThreatsProlonged severe drought, habitat development, and invasive groundcovers
HabitatsMoist shaded slopes, canyon seepages, oak woodlands, and chaparral banks
Life spanPerennial (decades via rhizomes)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyPteridaceae
- SpeciesAdiantum jordanii
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Timing: Look for vibrant green foliage between December and April after rainy periods.
- Summer dormancy: Avoid disturbing brown, dried clumps during summer, as rhizomes remain alive beneath the soil.
- Garden cultivation: Grow in partial to full shade with fast-draining, humus-rich soil and light winter moisture.
Frequent Companion (c) Franco Folini, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Frequent Companion (c) Roberto Daniel Avila, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Roberto Daniel Avila · cc-by
Close Relative (c) James H. Thomas, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by James H. Thomas · cc-by
Close Relative Starfarmer / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
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