|
Adiantum aleuticum
western maidenhair fern
|
|
Image © Sue Olsen
Image © Richie Steffen/Great Plant Picks
Image © Richie Steffen/Great Plant Picks
Image © Richie Steffen/Great Plant Picks |
Printer-friendly Fact Sheet
|
|
|
| Outstanding Qualities |
|
Adiantum aleuticum is a graceful deciduous fern that adds a lush touch to the woodland garden. Bright green fronds contrast with black stems, creating a dramatic two-toned effect. It combines well with hostas and other bold-foliage shade plants. Black mondo grass and Japanese painted ferns are complementary companions that bring out the black stems of the western maidenhair fern. It is beautiful in mass plantings and performs well in containers. |
| Culture |
|
Adiantum aleuticum looks best in shade with regular watering, but it grows in dry shade once established. It can also be grown in full sun with a steady supply of moisture. Western maidenhair fern is much better adapted to our region than the east coast native, A. pedatum, which gradually fades out in our climate. A. aleuticum was once grouped together with A. pedatum (and is often sold under that name), but most botanists recognize it as a different species. How to tell the difference? A. aleuticum has deep sinuses in the blade lobes, but A. pedatum does not. Western maidenhair fern’s wiry roots are difficult to divide, perhaps explaining why the fern seems to grow better if purchased as a container-grown plant rather than as a root in a package. |
| Growing Habit |
|
Adiantum aleuticum grows to 30 inches tall and creeps slowly to form a clump about 30 inches across. It dies down to the ground in winter. |
| Hardiness |
|
USDA zones 3 to 9 |
|
© 2009 Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden
Funded by the Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation
Administered by the Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden