Maidenhair Fern – Adiantum pedatum
© 2011 Patty Hankins
One morning in April while I was photographing along Little River Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I noticed just how wonderful the maidenhair ferns were looking. It had rained quite heavily the night before and it was still pretty overcast when I was out photographing. So there were lots of rich saturated colors and plenty of water still on the leaves of the ferns.
© 2011 Patty Hankins
Maidenhair Ferns (Adiantum pedatum) are native to most the eastern United States and Canada. They are also native to Alaska. Like most ferns they prefer to grow in moist soil in partial to full shade. They are not very tolerant of droughts.
© 2011 Patty Hankins
Maidenhair ferns are fairly easy to identify. They have a distinctive shiny black stems that grow to almost circular – with fronds spreading out to enlarge the fan-like appearance of the plant. The fronds can grow up to 20″ long.
© 2011 Patty Hankins
Maidenhair ferns are a very useful plant. Native Americans used it to treat diseases such as rheumatism, fevers, heart troubles, and pneumonia. The stems were used in making baskets. Small wildlife such as toads and lizards frequently shelter under the fronds of the maidenhair fern.
© 2011 Patty Hankins
As I photographed the maidenhair ferns – I realized just how delicate and complex they were. I loved the contrast of the shiny black stems with the bright green leaves. When multiple fronds are close to each other – the leaves can create fascinating patterns and textures. As you can probably guess – I had a lot of fun with the maidenhair ferns that morning.
© 2011 Patty Hankins
If you’d like more information about Maidenhair Ferns – you can find it online on the following sites
Kemper Center for Home Gardening