Western maidenhair fern
Adiantum aleuticum · Pteridaceae
Fan-shaped fronds, their leaflets spread like the fingers of a hand, on polished, purple-black stems.
- Size
- 24 in tall, 24 in wide
- Zones
- 3 to 8
- Light
- Part shade to shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves
- Pets
- Not checked
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around western maidenhair fern
The planner designed this bed around western 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 western maidenhair fern stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Western 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 24 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. Northern sea oats and foxglove anchor the back corners of the bed: the tallest plants on the plan stand there. Woodland strawberry is planted in five places along the bed, which gives it rhythm.
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 western maidenhair fern goes in a border
At 24 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 western counterpart of the northern maidenhair, and often a little more upright and tolerant. It needs cool, moist, leafy soil and no direct sun.
- Fine texture in woodland gardens
- Beside shaded water
- Contrast with bold leaves
What to plant with western 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.
- Foamflower: adds the flowers, late April to late May; low enough (10 in) to stand in front of it; happy in the same moist soil.
Questions about western maidenhair fern
Does western maidenhair fern need sun or shade?
Western 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 wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does western 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 western 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 24 in (60 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 24 in (60 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many western 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.
What does western maidenhair fern look like in winter?
Western 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.
More Adiantum
- Himalayan maidenhair fern Adiantum venustum
- Northern maidenhair fern Adiantum pedatum
- Southern maidenhair fern Adiantum capillus-veneris
In these guides
Zone guides: Zone 3 · Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8
Every fact on record
- Type
- Fern
- Size
- 24 in (60 cm) tall, 24 in (60 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
- None needed
- Family
- Pteridaceae
Checked against VASCAN (plants of Canada). 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.