NCBG

Plant Family:

Adiantum pedatum

Adiantum pedatum L.

northern maidenhair

image by Cressler, Alan M.

NCBG PLANT INDEX
ID_PLANT: ADPE
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Adiantum pedatum
GENUS: Adiantum
FAMILY: PTERID - Pteridaceae (Maidenhair Fern Family)

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES
INTRO: Northern maidenhair’s delicate, 8-20 in. fronds, with dark, shiny stems, spread their pinnae horizontally in a nearly perfect circle. This graceful, fan-like pattern is unique among native ferns. The fronds arise from a creeping rootstock in clusters. Burgundy red fiddleheads appear in early spring. The roots are wiry and black, colonizing in favorable sites.
STEMS:
LEAVES:
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS:
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 1-2 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Herb, Fern

LEAF ARRANGEMENT:
LEAF COMPLEXITY:
LEAF RETENTION: Deciduous

FLORAL
SYMMETRY:
BLOOM TIME: Not Applicable

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
					x	x	x

BLOOM COLOR:

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
											x

FRUITING PERIOD:

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE: Moist forests
NATIVE RANGE: Eastern North America

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: One of our loveliest native ferns, Northern maidenhair adds its graceful beauty to the shade garden. Despite its delicate appearance, it performs well throughout our hot summers. In the mountain and piedmont counties of the Southeastern United States, this species thrives on the humus-rich soil of old-growth forests and on shady slopes that are moist but well-drained. Mix compost and a little lime into soil before planting. Northern maidenhair also does well when planted in a large container. The black leaf stalks were used by Native Americans in basketry.

Cultural Notes: A decoction made from the leaves is used to help clear up coughs and congestion due to colds. It has also been used in hair rinses and tonics. The black leaf stalks were used by Native Ameicans in basketry.

SOIL MOISTURE: Average, Moist/Wet
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 3
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 8
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE:

USDA PLANTS DATABASE
USDA Symbol: ADPE
USDA Common Name: Northern Maidenhair
Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV), CAN (NB, NS, ON, QC)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Forb/herb

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACU				FAC	FAC		FACU	FACU	FAC

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

WEAKLEY FLORA
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Adiantum pedatum
COMMON NAME: Northern Maidenhair
SYNONYMY: [= Ar, G, Il, RAB, S, Tn, Va, W, WV, Z; > A. pedatum ssp. pedatum - C; > A. pedatum Linnaeus ssp. calderi Cody - C, misapplied to MD and PA material; = A. pedatum var. pedatum - F; < A. pedatum - FoC; > A. pedatum - FNA, K2, Pa; > A. aleuticum - FNA, K2, Pa, misapplied to MD and PA material]
PHENOLOGY: Jun-Aug.
HABITAT: Moist forests and cliffs, especially over calcareous or mafic rocks, sometimes in seasonal seepage.
COMMENTS: NS and NB west to ON and MN, south to GA, AL, MS, LA, and OK. Sometimes interpreted to also be present in e. Asia. Plants growing on serpentine in MD and se. PA have sometimes been interpreted as being A. aleuticum, but recent molecular studies show that they are stunted forms or sun forms of A. pedatum (W. Knapp, 2015, pers. comm.).
RANGE MAP: Adiantum pedatum.png

Key to Map Symbols.

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Pteridaceae E.D.M. Kirchner 1831 (Maidenhair Fern Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 40 genera and about 1000 species. Here circumscribed to include Vittariaceae (see Smith et al. 2006). This family may be further subdivided, into families Adiantaceae (Adiantum, Vittaria), Sinopteridaceae (Myriopteris, Notholaena, Astrolepis, Pellaea), Cryptogrammaceae (Cryptogramma), Pteridaceae (Pteris), and Parkeriaceae (Acrostichum, Ceratopteris).
REFERENCE: Grusz & Windham (2013); Lellinger (1985); Windham in FNA (1993b); Tryon, Tryon, & Kramer in Kramer & Green (1990); Kramer in Kramer & Green (1990); Crane (1997). {add for FL: Acrostichum aureum, Adiantum melanoleucum, Adiantum villosum, Pityrogramma trifoliata, Pteris bahamensis, Pteris grandifolia, Pteris plumula}

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Adiantum Linnaeus 1753 (Maidenhair Fern)
SUMMARY: A genus of 150-200 species, nearly cosmopolitan.
REFERENCE: Paris in FNA (1993b); Lu et al. (2011)=Z; Lin, Prado, & Gilbert in FoC (2013); Tryon, Tryon, & Kramer in Kramer & Green (1990).

HERBARIUM RESOURCES
SERNEC: Find Adiantum pedatum in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Adiantum pedatum in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES
USDA: Find Adiantum pedatum in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Adiantum pedatum in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Adiantum pedatum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Adiantum pedatum

NCBG RECORD
ID IMAGE1: 12270
ID IMAGE2: 9841
ID IMAGE3: 23381
Include in WOTAS: 0
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2017-09-20