Northern maidenhair fern
Adiantum pedatum · Pteridaceae
Black, wiry stems fork at the top and spread their leaflets in a flat, horizontal whorl, like the fingers of an open hand. Unlike any other fern.
- Size
- 20 in tall, 20 in wide
- Zones
- 3 to 8
- Light
- Part shade to shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves
- Pets
- No toxicity recorded
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around northern maidenhair fern
The planner designed this bed around northern maidenhair fern when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, part shade. It chose the other plants from the 513 that suit those conditions, and says below why northern maidenhair fern stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Northern maidenhair fern × 3, green leaves
- 2 Woodland strawberry × 19, white
- 3 Creeping phlox 'Sherwood Purple' × 7, purple
- 4 Northern sea oats × 3, tan
- 5 Foxglove × 3, pink
- 6 Bleeding heart × 1, pink
- 7 Grecian windflower × 7, blue
- 8 Giant snowdrop × 12, white
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
- The only fine leaves here. The rest are medium and bold. A change of leaf keeps plants distinct when nothing is in flower.
Why here
- At the back. At 20 in it is seen over woodland strawberry (8 in) in front of it, and has nothing behind it to hide.
- A step in the back row. Next to bleeding heart (2½ ft) and foxglove (4 ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- 3 plants in one group. Massed, one kind reads as a single shape. Scattered, it would look spotty.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, spring to frost. They cover the 12 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 5 of the 5 groups (100%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. The longest in flower is woodland strawberry: 16 weeks, from early May to late August. The flowers stay on the cool side of the palette: purple, pink, blue, white and tan.
The planner's own design check: 14 Excellent, 2 Good, 1 Satisfactory. It flags one thing to watch: Foxglove is highly poisonous to people, dogs, cats and horses. Northern sea oats spreads aggressively.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where northern maidenhair fern goes in a border
At 20 in it belongs in the middle of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is medium short (18 to 24 in).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
The horizontal, layered fronds are a shape no other plant provides. Set it beside the broad leaves of hosta or wild ginger. It needs humus-rich soil that stays moist.
- Fine texture in woodland gardens
- Contrast with hostas and other bold leaves
- Native shade planting
What to plant with northern maidenhair fern
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Hosta: bold leaves against its fine ones; happy in the same moist soil.
- Wild ginger: bold leaves against its fine ones; low enough (6 in) to stand in front of it; happy in the same moist soil.
- White trillium: adds the flowers, mid April to mid May; happy in the same moist soil.
Questions about northern maidenhair fern
Does northern maidenhair fern need sun or shade?
Northern maidenhair fern grows in part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light). It is one of the few that also put up with deep shade.
It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells. Once settled in, it stands drought.
What zones does northern maidenhair fern grow in?
USDA zones 3 to 8. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).
Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should northern maidenhair fern be planted?
18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 20 in (50 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 20 in (50 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many northern maidenhair fern plants do I need?
At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 5 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 17 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used three in one group.
Is northern maidenhair fern poisonous to dogs and cats?
No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.
"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.
Do deer eat northern maidenhair fern?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
What does northern maidenhair fern look like in winter?
Northern maidenhair fern dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.
Is northern maidenhair fern good for bees and butterflies?
Northern maidenhair fern is visited by songbirds.
It is native to the United States and Canada.
More Adiantum
- Himalayan maidenhair fern Adiantum venustum
- Southern maidenhair fern Adiantum capillus-veneris
- Western maidenhair fern Adiantum aleuticum
In these guides
- Plants for dry shade
- Plants for deep shade
- Deer-resistant plants for shade
- Pet-safe plants for shade
- Native plants for shade
- Garden plants native to Canada
- Plants that feed garden birds
Zone guides: Zone 3 · Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8
Every fact on record
- Type
- Fern
- Size
- 20 in (50 cm) tall, 20 in (50 cm) wide
- Plant
- 18 in (45 cm) apart
- Height class
- Medium short (18 to 24 in)
- Place in the bed
- Middle
- Flowers
- None: grown for its foliage
- Leaves
- Fine texture, herbaceous; green
- Shape
- Arching, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 3 to 8
- Light
- Part shade, shade
- Soil
- Rich, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Pteridaceae
- Comes from
- North America
- Attracts
- Songbirds
- Stands up to
- Deer, drought, deep shade
Checked against NC State Extension. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.