Adiantum hispidulum
rough maidenhair fern
Eastern Australia, New Zealand, and the Old World tropics
Overview
Adiantum hispidulum is a small evergreen fern growing 15-45 cm (6-18 in) tall, native to eastern Australia, New Zealand, and warm regions of Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. It forms tufted clumps from a short creeping rhizome. The fronds rise on wiry, dark purple-black stalks and divide into several finger-like segments that spread in a fan or hand shape; each segment carries many small, wedge-shaped, roughly hairy leaflets, giving the species its rough texture and common name. New fronds emerge pink to bronze before hardening to mid-green. Spore-bearing sori sit in small rounded patches under the rolled-back leaflet margins. The fern grows in moist, sheltered places on rock crevices, shaded banks, and stream sides on humus-rich or rocky soils that stay damp but drain, and it spreads slowly into a colony. It needs steady moisture, shade from hot sun, and shelter from drying wind; the fronds scorch in direct sun or drought and are cut back by hard frost. In gardens it suits cool, shaded, protected pockets rather than open exposed beds.
Native Range
Native to eastern Australia, from Queensland to Victoria, and to New Zealand, with a wider natural range through tropical and subtropical Asia, Africa, and the Pacific, growing on shaded rock, banks, and stream margins.Suggested Uses
Used as a shade and rockery fern, on shaded walls and banks, beside ponds and streams, and in containers and ferneries. Suits cool, sheltered courtyards and indoor positions with bright indirect light. Planted 25-40 cm (10-16 in) apart in drifts.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height6" - 1'6"
Width/Spread8" - 1'4"
Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years
Bloom Information
Does not flower. Reproduction is by spores carried in small patches under the rolled-back leaflet margins, which ripen mainly through the warmer months.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
mid-green, pink to bronze when youngGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 2-5 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grow in part to full shade on humus-rich or rocky soil that holds moisture yet drains, sheltered from hot sun and drying wind. Keep the root zone consistently damp, as the fronds scorch if the plant dries out. Mulch with leaf litter to feed the surface roots and hold moisture. Apply only weak, occasional feeding, since ferns are sensitive to strong fertiliser. New pink-bronze fronds appear through the warmer months. Hard frost cuts back the foliage, which reshoots from the rhizome in spring in milder districts.Pruning
Remove old, browned, or frost-damaged fronds in late winter before new growth unfurls to keep the clump fresh. No other pruning is needed. Healthy green fronds are left in place to feed the rhizome.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
winter
Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 2 gallons