Leaf

La Spada Arturo, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0

Hart's-tongue fern

Asplenium scolopendrium L.

Also known as: Hart's-tongue

Family: Aspleniaceae

20 to 60 cm

Wells, damp walls, shaded chalky woodland

Flowering: Does not flower — reproduces by spores

Part shade

Shade

Very hardy, to -25°C

❓ How do you recognise this plant?

The only common fern with an entire, undivided frond — impossible to confuse with the others.

🍃 Leaves

Entire, undivided frond, a long, wavy, glossy strap

🌸 Flowers

No flowers: elongated sori arranged in a herringbone pattern beneath the frond

🍎 Fruits

No fruits — spores contained in the sori

🪵 Bark

Short, tufted rootstock, no woody stem

🗺️ Distribution

Europe, western Asia, North America; common in France in cool chalky woodland and old wells

🐝 Value for pollinators

Fern reproducing by spores, with no flowers and no interest for pollinators

✂️ Horticultural uses

Grown in cool, shady woodland, appreciated for its tongue-shaped entire fronds

⚠️ Possible toxicity

No known toxicity.

ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.

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