Common maidenhair (Adiantum aethiopicum)

When it flowers

January, not flowering
February, not flowering
March, not flowering
April, not flowering
May, not flowering
June, not flowering
July, not flowering
August, not flowering
September, not flowering
October, not flowering
November, not flowering
December, not flowering

Maidenhair fern, Adiantum aethiopicum growing on Hawkesbury Sandstone at Chatswood West. Other plants are Cyathea cooperi, Calochlaena dubia & Ficus rubiginosa. Photo: Poyt448 Peter Woodard, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Adiantum aethiopicum, native to New Zealand, South Africa, New Caledonia, and Australia.. Photo: Murderbike, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Maidenhair fern growing near the Lane Cove River, Sydney, Australia. Likely to be Adiantum aethiopicum. Photo: Poyt448, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Delicate, spreading maidenhair fern with fine black stems, tougher than it looks.

Australia's common maidenhair, with soft, lacy fronds on wiry black stems. It spreads by underground stems into a patch. Can die back in dry weather and reshoots after rain, and grows well in pots and shady garden beds.

In the garden

Pots and containers
Mass planting
Under trees

Flowers: Inconspicuous
Attracts: Shelter for small wildlife
Leaves: Lacy fronds of small fan-shaped leaflets on thin black stems.

Growing conditions

Light: Part shade to full shade
Soil: Sandy and loam
Drainage: Copes with occasional wet
Frost: Moderate frost
Water: Needs regular water
Coast: Sheltered coastal gardens
Climate: Subtropical, dry summers (Mediterranean) and temperate

Planting and care

Grown from: Division

Planting

Shade or morning sun, sheltered from wind. Good in pots and in gaps between rocks.

Pruning

Cut the whole plant back to the ground if it gets tatty; it regrows quickly.

Care

Keep the soil moist, especially in summer. Mulch with leaf litter; a weak liquid feed in spring helps. Don't let pots dry out.

Where it comes from

Family: Pteridaceae
Order: Polypodiales
Native to: ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia
Natural range: Moist, sheltered sites across southern and eastern Australia.

Widely available.

We don't have stockists listed for this plant yet. Local native nurseries are often the best place to ask.

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Common maidenhair Adiantum aethiopicum