About
This deciduous fern features a short, creeping rhizome and can reach heights of up to 45 cm. It produces slender black stems that support wide, branching fronds, which may exhibit a deep pink hue when they are young.
About the genus
Adiantum consists of ferns that may be either deciduous or evergreen, characterized by lustrous black stems. These ferns typically feature fronds that are either simple or, more commonly, divided pinnately. The individual segments can be fan-shaped, oblong, or rounded, and they produce spores beneath reflexed marginal flaps.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full shade, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- West-facing, East-facing, South-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H6
Plant details
- Plant type
- Ferns
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 5-10 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden
- Native to
- North America, E Asia
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Outdoors grow in moderately fertile soil. Under glass grow in a mix of 1 part each of loam, medium grade bark, charcoal and lime chippings; 2 parts sharp sand; 3 parts leaf mould. Provide bright filtered light in medium to high humidity with good ventilation. When in growth apply a half strength balanced liquid fertiliser monthly. Remove damaged fronds in spring
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by spores
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to scale insects under glass
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free