Theres a maidenhair fern for every purpose, from tropical houseplants to winter-hardy ferns for moist and shady locations.
This can be a tricky habitat to recreate in a home garden.
Plant maidenhair ferns about 18 to 24 inches apart.
Rick Taylor.
Soil and Water
Maidenhair ferns like organically rich, well-drained, moisture-retentive soils.
Amend your garden soil, if needed, with compost and organic matter.
Don’t let maidenhair ferns dry out, or they’ll die back and go dormant.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Fill the saucer with water to just below the top of the pebbles.
And never let the roots dry out, or the plant may shrivel up and go dormant or die.
Temperature and Humidity
Not all maidenhair ferns are delicate tropical plants.
Credit: Clint Farlinger
Surprisingly, many types are winter hardy; some are even native to the United States.
Maidenhair ferns need humidity to survive.
Repotting is only advised when the roots fill up the pot.
Credit: Matthew Benson
Outdoors, you might also find snails, and slugs on the plants.
In soil with poor drainage, the fern can develop root rot.
Several species and varieties bear new growth in pink or red that eventually ages to green.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
It has delicate, drooping foliage and needs high humidity to survive.
It is mostly grown as a houseplant but can be grown outdoors in zones 10-11.
It grows 12-16 inches tall.
Credit: David McDonald
It has black stems.
New growth may be tinged pink.
Southern Maidenhair Fern
Adiantum capillus-venerushas fan-shaped leaflets on black stems.
Credit: Julie Maris Semarco
The rough basal leaves, spotted or plain, are handsome through the season and into winter.
Provide high-humus soil that retains moisture, although lungwort tolerates dry conditions.
It’s a great shade plant.
Credit: Stephen Cridland
Blooms are small, but they appear in clusters.
Leaves look similar to those of a fringe-leaf bleeding heart.
Plants self-seed readily, but excess seedlings are easy to remove.
Provide the plant with moist, organic soil for best growth.
Maidenhair ferns do best in 60% humidity and home environments are often too dry for this plant.
Avoid siting the pot near heat registers, cooling vents, or in drafty areas.
Adjust the amount of watering and back off on the fertilizer.
