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Hart's tonguefern

Scientific Name: Asplenium scolopendrium

Family: Aspleniaceae

Category: Fern

Growth: Forb/herb

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

Hart's-Tongue Fern (Asplenium scolopendrium)

The Hart's-Tongue Fern, scientifically known as Asplenium scolopendrium, is an evergreen fern appreciated for its unique appearance and ease of cultivation.

Common Names

  • Hart's-tongue
  • Hart's-tongue fern
  • Horse tongue
  • Christ's hair
  • Burnt weed
  • Buttonhole

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Asplenium scolopendrium
  • Family: Aspleniaceae
  • Synonyms:
    • Phyllitis scolopendrium
    • Scolopendrium vulgare
    • Asplenium altajense
    • Phyllitis vulgare

Distribution and Habitat

This fern is native to the UK and Europe. It also has a variety in North America, Phyllitis scolopendrium var. americana, which is smaller. It thrives in damp, shady environments such as:

  • Shaded areas under trees
  • Amongst rocks and streams
  • Damp, shady gorges and banks in woodlands
  • Rocks and walls, especially limestone pavements like the Burren

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

  • Evergreen plant.
  • Medium-sized fern, reaching 45-60cm in height. Crested varieties reach 40-50cm.
  • Possesses long, tongue-shaped leaves with a pointy end.
  • Fronds are strap-shaped, wide, and leathery green.
  • Forms drifts in suitable habitats.
  • Unusual amongst British ferns for having simple, undivided leaves rather than pinnate or feathery ones.

Cultivation

  • Prefers partial to full shade.
  • Requires humus-rich, moist, well-drained, preferably alkaline soil.
  • Average growth rate.
  • Fully hardy.

Quirky Facts

  • The plant was named by Pliny and Dioscorides around AD60.
  • In Devonshire, there is a tale about Harts-tongue fern related to the Son of Man.

Resources and Further Information

  • RHS (Royal Horticultural Society)
  • Dave's Garden
  • Wyevale Garden Centres
  • APHOTOFLORA - Photographic Stock Library
  • U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
  • Encyclopaedia Britannica
  • RHS Lindley Library collection