No images found for this plant ID: 796.
Ensure images are uploaded to the Media Library and tagged with "796" in the "plant_image_tag" taxonomy.
northern maidenhair
Scientific Name: Adiantum pedatum
Family: Pteridaceae
Category: Fern
Growth: Forb/herb
Duration: Perennial
Other Names: NY (maidenhair fern)
Northern Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum)
Considerations for Pets
- The text mentions finely cut foliage, which could be tempting for pets to chew on.
- The plant has wiry black stems.
- The plant is clump-forming, which might be something animals would want to investigate.
Considerations for Children
- The text mentions finely cut foliage, which could be tempting for children to play with or put in their mouths.
- The plant has wiry black stems.
Common Names
- Northern Maidenhair Fern
- Five-Fingered Fern
- American Maidenhair Fern
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Adiantum pedatum L.
- Family: Pteridaceae, Polypodiaceae (mentioned in different parts of the text)
- Synonyms: Adiantum boreale, Adiantum aleuticum (though this appears to be listed in conjunction with *Adiantum aleuticum* rather than *Adiantum pedatum* directly)
Distribution and Habitat
- Native to moist forests and woodlands in eastern North America and east Asia.
- Specifically mentioned locations include New England, Illinois, Minnesota (St Paul, Minneapolis, Inver Grove, Eagan, Woodbury), Wisconsin (Milwaukee, Brookfield, Waukesha, New Berlin, Pewaukee), and Allegany Co., Maryland.
Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits
- Deciduous, clump-forming fern.
- Typically grows 1.5 to 2 feet tall.
- Curved fronds with wiry black stems that wave in the wind.
- Spreads slowly by branching rhizomes.
- Dainty, bright green fronds held aloft on shiny black stems.
- Delicate appearance, forming a medium-sized mound of arching black-stemmed fronds with light green leaflets arranged in a wide fan.
- Fronds are 8-20 inches, with dark, shiny stems, spreading their pinnae horizontally in a nearly perfect circle.
- Finely-textured fronds composed of many leaflets.
Additional Information
- Thrives in moist, rich soil and tolerates all but the driest woodland garden sites.
- Hardy to USDA zone 3 (-40 degrees Centigrade).
- New fronds emerge in mid-spring with a pink color.
Quirky Facts
- The fronds' arrangement is described as resembling a circular ring or crown with little gaps on the pinnules.
- One source mentions the artist being captivated by the tiny, paw-shaped petals, suggesting a unique visual detail. While ferns don't have petals, this highlights the distinctive shape of the leaflets.