Description
Adiantum formosum – Australian Maidenhair Fern – Giant Maidenhair Fern – Black-stem Maidenhair – Native to eastern Australia and New Zealand this species grow 4’ feet tall and 6’ feet wide. It’s an evergreen with triangular to diamond shape leaves or segments are arranged opposite from one another on purple black stalks arising from long underground rhizomes. Young fronds are pale green darkening with age. Prefers a shady situation.
Zones 9-11
Adiantum – Maidenhair Fern
There’s about 250 species of evergreen, semi evergreen, and deciduous ferns in this genus. Native to wide area of the tropics and subtropical areas of North and South America and some from Europe, Asia, Australia and northern North America. They grow in the edges of woodlands and shady crevices in rocks or at streamsides. Some prefer deeper shaded areas. The fronds or stems, that bear leaflets arranged alternately or in opposite pairs along a common stem. The leaflets can be oblong, triangular, or diamond shape. The stalks shinny black or deep purple-red often numerous from one clump. The new foliage may be pinkish or tinted bronze usually a paler green is more common. They spread by rhizomes a stem that creeps either above or below ground that takes root and start to produce top growth. Some do and do not divide well. The seed spores appear as tiny indentations under the leaves.
A popular indoors plant especially in the bathroom as hanging plants. They like strong indirect sunlight and high humidity. Grow in medium grade bark charcoal with limestone chips that’s humus rich that’s 2 parts sand and 3 parts leaf mold. Apply half strength balanced liquid fertilizer during growing season monthly. Plant in oversize container. They do not like a dry atmosphere and to much wetness. Remove old fronds as needed.
In outdoor situations grow hardy species in moist well-drained moderately fertile soil in partial shade.
Prone to scale insects, leaf spots. Fungal root rots are rare.
