About
Adiantum venustum is a deciduous fern that behaves almost like an evergreen in warmer climates. It features a slender, creeping rhizome that establishes a mat-like growth habit reaching up to 25 cm in height. The fronds are ovate and made up of numerous small, fan-shaped leaflets, which frequently develop a pleasing rusty-brown hue during the autumn and winter months.
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
- South-facing, East-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H7
Plant details
- Plant type
- Ferns
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Semi evergreen
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.5-1 metres
- Time to full height
- 10-20 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden
- Native to
- Afghanistan to China
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. See how to grow ferns for further advice
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by spores
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to scale insects under glass
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free