Adiantum capillus - Plant
Description for Adiantum capillus
Grow in consistently moist, neutral to alkaline soils in part shade to full shade. Plants in the wild will sprawl from wet limestone rocks. Native Missouri growing conditions are difficult to duplicate in home gardens.
|Common name||Flower colours||Bloom time||Height||Difficulty|
|maidenhair fern||green||Non-flowering||Adiantum capillusgrows from 6 to 12 in (15 to 30 cm) in height; its fronds arising in clusters from creeping rhizomes 8 to 27.5 in (20 to 70 cm) tall||Adiantum capillus is cultivated and widely available around the world for planting in natural landscape native plants and traditional shade gardens, for outdoor container gardens, and commonly as an indoor houseplant.|
Planting and care
Adiantum capillus-veneris can also be propagated from spores. Collect the ripe spores from under spore-bearing pinnules (leaflets) and sow on the surface of a humus-rich sterilized soil. Keep the growing medium always moist by covering with a plastic bag over the pot.
|Full Sun to Partial Shade||well-drained soil||Medium||50oF||Apply any organic fertilizer|
Caring for Adiantum capillus
- When growing maidenhair fern indoors, the plant prefers small containers and dislikes repotting. Maidenhair is also intolerant of low humidity or dry air from heating or cooling vents when grown in the home. Therefore, you will either need to mist the plant daily or set it on a water-filled pebble tray.
Typical uses of Adiantum capillus
Special features: Ornamental fern for shaded areas of woodland or native plant gardens.
Culinary use: This plant is used medicinally by Native Americans. The Mahuna people use the plant internally for rheumatism, and the Navajo people of Kayenta, AZ use an infusion of the plant as a lotion for bumblebee and centipede stings. The Navajo people also smoke it or take it internally to treat mental illness.
Ornamental use: The plant is used for ornamental purpose.
Medicinal use: This plant is used medicinally by Native Americans. The Mahuna people use the plant internally for rheumatism, and the Navajo people of Kayenta, AZ use an infusion of the plant as a lotion for bumblebee and centipede stings.The Navajo people also smoke it or take it internally to treat mental illness.