Asplenium trichomanes - Maidenhair Spleenwort

Sizes available: 2 quart

Basics: zones 3-8, 4-9" x 9-12", part to full shade, fronds are up to 8" long and exhibit an upright to slightly arching habit. The leaflets are a deep, glossy green, are rounded like little mouse ears, and appear in pairs along dark stems. Medium water use and tolerant of shallow, rocky soils. Prefers good drainage.

Common names: Maidenhair Spleenwort, Bright Green Spleenwort, Dense Spleenwort, Mountain Spleenwort, Toothed Spleenwort

Family: Aspleniaceae

Origin/Distribution: This fern appears in small populations all over the globe including a band of temperate and subarctic latitudes in North America, Europe, and Asia. It also occurs in mountainous regions of Central America. See the Wikipedia entry for detail on specific distribution. Native to Maine.

Habitat: rocky slopes and good-drainage spots that are shady and hold some moisture, crevices, waste places such as old mines

More: This is a wonderful little fern for the shady rock garden, trough, or rock wall. It may be able to grow in more sun with consistent moisture and it may prefer calcareous soils, but the information on the web is variable and this fern is new to me, so stay tuned as I learn more. This plant has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Why grow ferns besides your admiration for a plant that has been present on Earth for over 360 billion years? Ferns support wildlife by creating protective cover and shady, moist, micro-habitats, in particular for small mammals and invertebrates. For the gardener they offer the gifts of graceful architecture and low-maintenance textural beauty. They are also rabbit, deer, and juglone resistant.

Nursery: Van Berkum

Image credits: Both images Wikimedia Commons