Native Plant Database

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Fern
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf: Dark Green
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 1-3 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Not Applicable
Bloom Notes: Not a flowering plant. Reproduces by spores.

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , NE , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , SD , TN , VA , VT , WI , WV
Canada: NB , NS , ON , QC
Native Distribution: Que., Ont. & AK, s. to GA, OK, & c. CA. North America Zones 4 to 8.
Native Habitat: Moist, cool, rich woods & shaded areas, especially northern exposures, with neither little nor too much moisture. Rocky seeps and springs especially.
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
Soil pH: Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Drought Tolerance: Low
Soil Description: Rich, moist, well-drained soils, mostly acidic but can tolerate some lime.
Conditions Comments: Likes moist but not wet sites. Will not survive drying out. Keep evenly moist year-round.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Uniquely delicate, light green foliage, black stems, and red fiddleheads for areas with the right conditions
Use Wildlife: Provides shelter for toads and lizards.
Use Medicinal: Indigenous peoples made a tea from the leaves to treat respiratory conditions such as coughing and consumption.
Use Other: Shiny, dark stems used in basketry.
Interesting Foliage: yes

Propagation

Propagation Material: Root Division
Description: Easily propagated by rhizome division in early spring or late fall or from spores. Easiest to divide roots during fiddlehead stage.
Seed Collection: Spores mature in late summer and fall.
Seed Treatment: Tap spores into sterile potting mix, mist and keep covered with a clear plastic lid.
Commercially Avail: yes
Maintenance: Keep evenly moist throughout the year but not soggy.

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Possible ground covers under pine trees in Illinois
April 18, 2006
Have pine trees in front of house. No luck with the lawn around them....was told it's because of ground acidity. Any tips on how to get a lawn to grow there? If not, can you suggest some ground cover...
view the full question and answer

From the National Suppliers Directory

According to the inventory provided by Associate Suppliers, this plant is available at the following locations:

Amandas Garden - Springwater, NY
Sunlight Gardens - Andersonville, TN
American Native Nursery - Quakertown, PA
Prairie Nursery - Westfield, WI

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Delaware Nature Society - Hockessin, DE
Natural Biodiversity - Johnstown, PA

Bibliography

Bibref 928 - 100 easy-to-grow native plants for Canadian gardens (2005) Johnson, L.; A. Leyerle
Bibref 996 - Gardening with Native Plants of the South (1994) Wasowski, Sally and Andy Wasowski
Bibref 1231 - Guide To the Ferns of Grey and Bruce Counties, Ontario (1999) Owen Sound Field Naturalists
* The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants An Illustrated Guide (2011) Adelman, Charlotte and Schwartz, Bernard L.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Adiantum pedatum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Adiantum pedatum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Adiantum pedatum