On any season and location, Ferns add grace, elegance, serene beauty and make it a picturesque place . Maiden hair ferns are no exception to this fact of nature and rather they are front runners, a shade better than their fellow fern varieties in terms of their beauty and utility value. It is also one of the most fragile looking ferns in the garden. This maidenhair fern belongs to the Adiantum genus. The genus consists of around 200 varieties across the world .They extend from the Oceania landmass up to western Europe. These varieties have adapted themselves to grow from trees & wall crevices, nooks where water and moisture prevent them from drying out. Though there are umpteen varieties which grow under various conditions and environment, this post I will be narrating about those varieties which flourish well as houseplants.
Table of Contents
Why is it called Maidenhair fern?
This fern belongs to the Genus Adiantos. It means ‘unwetted’ in Greek language. It’s because of the water repellent property of foliage. In other words the fronds give an effect of “Duck Back” to water droplets falling on it.
The name “Maidenhair” has originated on account of the black roots sprouting from rootstock resembling hair. As a result, it is called as Maidenhair fern.
Another school of thought comes up with the following reasoning for the name.
- The plant has been a major source of aromatic oil which is used as a shampoo. The oil is volatile in nature .That is the reason for the evolution of name, maidenhair.
- Moreover, the five-fingered fern derived the name from finger-resembling fronds. These fronds sprouted from black/ dark brown stems. These black stems found a major use in the preparation of dye. Also they were employed in weaving of baskets.
- Also native Americans also used maidenhair ferns for stopping bleeding from wounds in case of injury.
Maidenhair Ferns – Specifications
Common Name : Northern maidenhair, Southern maidenhair, Rosy Maidenhair , Delta maidenhair ..etc
Botanical Name : Adiantos Genus . Family : Pteridaceae
Plant Type : Grown both indoor plants and in tree crevices and nooks
Plant size : 2-3 feet tall. 1-2.5 feet wide
Sunlight Requirement : Bright indirect Sunlight only. No direct light
Flowering Pattern : Flowerless and seedless
Water : Medium
Maintenance : Low
Nativity : North America, Asia
Hardiness Zone : USDA – 3- 8
Are Maidenhair ferns hard to care for?
Maidenhair ferns add beauty and unique charm to shady gardens . Always remember that Maidenhair ferns are tropical in nature . As result they prefer high humidity and moisture. However never allow them to go dry. They prefer and thrive on the well lit bright places of the house.
Growing maidenhair fern is definitely not tough . They make excellent model in a group.
- Take care in fertilizer. Do not apply excess. Avoid during winter.
- Never allow water-logging as it will result in rotting of roots
- Watering frequently to retain moisture in soil is must. Never overdo the same.
- For outdoor ferns, water it twice a day during summer.
- Do not bother much about growth as Boston fern have slow growth, more so during winter.
- Maidenhair ferns are planted in pots with high level of peat moss. It is necessary to hydrate the peat mass of the pot.
Where should I place my Maidenhair ferns?
- Always place Maidenhair ferns indoors in brightly lit place near a window , away from direct sunlight . They are the perfect porch plant. Morning sun with angular rays is ideal.
- Do not place them near warm areas like kitchen stove which radiate direct heat and spoil the fronds.
- Maidenhair ferns can’t bear extreme temperatures. Never expose them to direct sunlight for longer duration.
- Maidenhair fern flourish well at a temperature of around 70°F (21°C) . But its better to avoid temperature below 60°F (16°C) as it would spoil the fronds. Maidenhair fern fronds would wilt in dry air. As a result, it’s better to use a humidifier if your house is quite dry and unbearable. Also regularly mist the plant. If the humidity is not enough, the tips of the fronds may turn brown.
Ingredients – Maidenhair fern care
Water :
First and foremost , the maidenhair ferns are very sensitive to water and always keep the soil moist. Secondly never allow it to water-logging , else it will result in root rotting
- Water is most important and have a proper mixture for potting as detailed in the coming paragraph. Do not have only clay as soil as it would allow easy drying up of soil and dry soil will make the fronds wither way resulting in the death of the fern.
- Have proper drainage in the pot to prevent water-logging.
Frequency of watering:
- Both under and over-watering make the maidenhair fern fail. Watering schedule also depends partly on the amount of light, humidity the fern receives in its habitat
- Water weekly once during hot summer season of the year and half of that frequency during cooler months ,
- Maidenhair fern use both their fronds as well as roots to absorb water. So misting greatly helps in the absorption of water.
- Better the humidity of the ambient, proportionately lesser is the water requirement
- In case of more light it implies more heat and water evaporation. Obviously in such cases, water requirement will be more and as a result watering frequency needs to be increased.
- Low humidity causes the leaves of the maidenhair fern turn brow. This indicates that the ambient air is quite dry and requires immediate attention. Do misting or use a humidifier to increase the humidity above 60 %.
- Improve the situation by placing the fern plant pot on a tray filled with water and pebbles /gravels . This will help increase the humidity.
Temperature
The most favorable temperature for the Staghorn fern to thrive and flourish is 70°F (21°C) .
Fertilizer
Maidenhair ferns require very little of fertilizer to zero fertilizer most of the seasons. Hence it is fine to have no fertilizer for the plant . At the maximum, a half-strength liquid fertilizer will do the job
Potting :
Following is the basic ingredient for a pot preparation towards fern care .
- Soil – 1 Part
- Fibrous peat – 1 part
- Pumice – 1 Part
- Pebble/Gravel – 1 Part
- Tree leaves , wooden chips – 1 part
Make the pot with loose medium.
- Indoor /House Ferns thrive well on humidified environment. the pot should be kept damp through a layer of clay of moistened marble stones /pebbles/gravels . At the same time take care that the roots do not get stagnated with water which is not good for them.
- Spring time is the ideal season for re-potting of ferns. During re-potting, cut off any damaged frond. Also this is the time for splitting and making more fern plants.
- Ensure that the roots and spread throughout the pot and well established. If not, only the top layer of compost is to be replenished.
- Set the pot on trays filled with pebbles and gravels with water. This will help the terracotta pot to always absorb moisture.
- During winter, protect potted ferns from freezing temperature .During winter there could be some defoliation. Prune it accordingly.
What are the varieties of Maidenhair Fern ?
There are numerous varieties of maidenhair ferns. But some of the most important varieties of maidenhair ferns are given below.
- Southern maidenhair (Adiantum. Capillus-veneris)
- Rosy maidenhair (Adiantum.hispidulum)
- Western maidenhair (Adiantum.aleuticum)
- Silver dollar maidenhair (Adiantum.. peruvianum)
- Northern maidenhair (Adiantum.pedatum)
Southern maidenhair fern (Adiantum Capillus-veneris) :
This is one of the most popular varieties of maidenhair fern .It is a deciduous, native to both temperate and tropical regions across the world. The botanical name originates from Latin word meaning hair (capillus) of Venus (veneris) . They have been commonly used as houseplants
Rosy maidenhair fern (Adiantum.hispidulum) :
Rosy maidenhair is native to tropical South American continent. It grows on crevices and cracks of rocks , up to a height of around 20 inches ( 50 cms approx). The plant has been categorized as invasive in Hawaii and French Polynesia. It thrives well in moist, humid and partially shady places.
Northern maidenhair fern (Adiantum.pedatum) :
This fern exhibits slow growth. Northern maidenhair fern spreads mostly through its rhizomes. It reproduces mostly by spores /gametophyte cycle.
Western maidenhair fern (Adiantum.aleuticum)
Western maidenhair fern is native mainly to western part of North American continent. It stretches from Alaska State to Chihuahua. It flourishes well in organic rich soil with continuous moisture.It thrives well in rock crevices near streams,
Silver dollar maidenhair fern (Adiantum.. peruvianum) :
Silver dollar maidenhair fern is also called as the Peruvian maidenhair. It has unique stems which are black in color and pinnules that are large and flat in shape. As outdoor plant it serves the purpose of a ornamental greenhouse plant .Silver dollar maidenhair plant is also used a indoor houseplant. These ferns propagate themselves by way of short , creeping rhizomes .They prefer moist, rich soil which are mostly alkaline in nature. They have been listed as endangered in northern Carolina state
The above post brings out some of the salient features of Maidenhair fern.. Feel free to post your comments .. cheers
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