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Native Plant Database

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Asplenium scolopendrium var. americanum (Fern.) Kartesz & Gandhi

American hart's-tongue fern

Aspleniaceae (Spleenwort Family)

USDA Symbol: ASSCA

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

In North America at the present time, Asplenium scolopendrium is an endangered species everywhere outside of Ontario, where it is found along the Niagara Escarpment growing in crevasses and north facing slopes (Ferns of Grey and Bruce Counties). Variety americanum occurs in scattered populations in deep shade and rocky, calcareous soil in Ontario, Michigan, New York, Tennessee, Alabama, and Nuevo Leon. The species proper ranges across western Eurasia, where it is common, and adds Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Hispaniola to the aforementioned locales. Listed as a species of special concern by Canadas Species at Risk Act and as threatened by the United States government and by the state of New York. Tennessee and Michigan classify it as endangered.

 

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb , Fern
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Flower:
Fruit:

Bloom Information

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

Distribution

USA: AL , MD , MI , NY , TN
Canada: ON
Native Distribution: Scattered spottily from southern Ontario to New York, Michigan, Tennessee, Alabama, and Nuevo Leon.
Native Habitat: Forest,Riparian,Rocky Bluff, in deep shade and calcareous soil.
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
Soil pH: Alkaline (pH>7.2)
CaCO3 Tolerance: High

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

Bibliography

Bibref 1231 - Guide To the Ferns of Grey and Bruce Counties, Ontario (1999) Owen Sound Field Naturalists

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 3 - Flora of North America (2008) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 12 - Great Lakes Ecological Assessment: Threatened, Endangered, or Sensitive Species (2012) USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

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 Asplenium scolopendrium var. americanum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Asplenium scolopendrium var. americanum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Asplenium scolopendrium var. americanum

Metadata

Record Modified: 2012-10-11
Research By: TWC Staff

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