Venus’-hair fern, Southern maidenhair, Common maidenhair
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Adiantum capillus-veneris
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Pteridaceae
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Landscape Uses:
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A delicate accent fern on exposed moist limestone in rock gardens and on the banks of water features such as natural pools. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
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In South Florida, this is not known as a natural component of the landscape and is not an appropriate component of ecological restoration projects. In north-central Florida and the Panhandle, this is an uncommon to rare element but may be appropriate for some projects. |
Availability: |
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Widely cultivated, but most often as an indoor plant or hanging basket. Available at native plant nurseries in central Florida. Rarely grown by native plant nurseries in northeast Florida. |
Description: |
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Medium herbaceous fern with delicate leaflets (pinnae). |
Height: |
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Typically 6-12 inches high; about as broad as tall. The leaves are typically about 12-18 inches long, but they are most often pendent, or somewhat pendent. |
Growth Rate: |
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Moderate. |
Range: |
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Widespread in North America south to South Florida, where the historic distribution is unclear; West Indies, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Old World in both temperate and tropical regions. |
Habitats: |
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Moist limestone. In the Florida Panhandle and part of north-central Florida, it grows naturally on moist walls of limestone sinkholes, and on limestone along rivers and on bluffs. |
Soils: |
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Moist limestone rock, with or without an accumulation of humusy material. |
Nutritional Requirements: |
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Low; it grows on nutrient poor substrate. |
Salt Water Tolerance: |
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Low; does not tolerate flooding by salt or brackish water. |
Salt Wind Tolerance: |
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Low; salt wind may burn the leaves. |
Drought Tolerance: |
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Low; requires moist substrate and high humidity and is intolerant of long periods of drought. |
Light Requirements: |
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Light shade. |
Flower Color: |
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N/A. |
Flower Characteristics: |
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There are no flowers; the plants reproduce by spores. |
Flowering Season: |
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Probably spring-fall in most of Florida and all year in South Florida. |
Fruit: |
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Inconspicuous spores. |
Wildlife and Ecology: |
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Horticultural Notes: |
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Can be grown from spores or divisions. |
Comments: |
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In the right situations, this rock-loving fern will recruit readily in the garden. |
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