Southern maidenhair fern
Adiantum capillus-veneris L.
Also known as: Venus-hair fern, Maidenhair fern
Family: Pteridaceae
15 to 40 cm
Dripping rock faces, damp walls and wells, mainly in the south of France
Flowering: Does not flower — reproduces by spores
Part shade
Shade
Not very hardy, to about -7°C
🍃 Leaves
Small fan-shaped leaflets of delicate appearance, borne on slender glossy black petioles
🌸 Flowers
No flowers: sori hidden beneath the folded edge of the leaflets
🍎 Fruits
No fruits — spores borne beneath the leaflets
🪵 Bark
Slender creeping rhizome, characteristic black petioles
🗺️ Distribution
Warm temperate and tropical regions of the world; in France limited to the Mediterranean coast, on dripping rocks and old damp walls
🐝 Value for pollinators
Fern reproducing by spores, without flowers and of no interest to pollinators
✂️ Horticultural uses
Grown in pots or in damp, shaded rock gardens, valued for its delicate foliage
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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