North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Adiantum capillus-veneris

Adiantum capillus-veneris L.

southern maidenhair, common maidenhair, venus'-hair fern

Synonym(s): Adiantum capillus-veneris var. modestum, Adiantum capillus-veneris var. protrusum, Adiantum modestum

Adiantum capillus-veneris (Southern Maidenhair)

Image ID: 8559
Image by: Parkins, Grant Morrow
Image Collection: NCBG Digital Library

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: ADCA
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Adiantum capillus-veneris
Include in WOTAS: 0
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2019-04-11

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: ADIAN
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Adiantum
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Maidenhair fern
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of 150-200 species, nearly cosmopolitan.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION:
GENUS REFERENCES: Paris in FNA (1993b); Lu et al. (2011)=Z; Lin, Prado, & Gilbert in FoC (2013); Tryon, Tryon, & Kramer in Kramer & Green (1990).

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: PTERID
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Pteridaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: E.D.M. Kirchner 1831
FAMILY COMMON: Maidenhair Fern Family
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).
FAMILY 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}

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO:
STEMS:
LEAVES:
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS:
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 1-2 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Herb, Fern

LEAF ARRANGEMENT:
LEAF COMPLEXITY:
LEAF RETENTION: Evergreen

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
BLOOM TIME: Not Applicable

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

BLOOM COLOR:

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

FRUITING PERIOD:

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE:
NATIVE RANGE: s. U.S. to S. America, Eurasia & Africa

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text: The finely-cut lacy foliage of the Southern maidenhair adds a delicate note to any shade garden. Plant it in a prominent spot where you can really appreciate its beauty. Mix compost and a little lime into the soil before planting and watch this fern thrive. This species grows best in soil that is evenly moist, although well-drained. This Southeastern native perennial tolerates heat and humidity well. For a groundcover, try combining Southern maidenhair with deciduous wild ginger and enjoy their contrasting foliage.

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Average, Moist/Wet, Well-drained
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 7
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE: 10
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE:
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
952	1985-0645			View
8162	2004-0172	2006-05-19		View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
1753	952	142	NCBG staff	1967-01-01	View
1754	952	60	NCBG staff	1996-01-01	View
1755	952	65	NCBG staff	1996-01-01	View
1756	952	67	NCBG staff	1996-01-01	View
1757	952	70	NCBG staff	1996-01-01	View
1758	952	71	Liloia	1996-01-01	View
1759	952	145	NCBG staff	1985-02-19	View
1760	952	200	NCBG staff	1985-02-19	View
1761	952	139	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
11416	8162	81	NCBG staff	1967-12-31	View
13228	0	68	Liloia	0000-00-00	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: ADCA
USDA Common Name: Common Maidenhair
Native Status: L48 (N), HI (N), PR (N), CAN (N)
Distribution: USA (AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, HI, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NM, NV, OH, OK, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA), USA+ (PR), CAN (BC)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Forb/herb

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

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

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

2018 Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species of North Carolina

NHP ID	S RANK	ROUNDED S RANK	G RANK	ROUNDED G RANK	STATE STATUS	FEDERAL STATUS
20074	S1	S1	G5	G5	T

This information is derived from the 2018 North Carolina Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species.

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Adiantum capillus-veneris
COMMON NAME: Venus'-hair Fern, Southern Maidenhair
SYNONYMY: [= Ar, C, F, FNA, FoC, G, K, RAB, S, Tn, Va, W, WH3]
PHENOLOGY: Jun-Jul.
HABITAT: Moist calcareous substrates, in the Coastal Plain on marl (coquina limestone) (NC and SC), on calcareous clay bluffs (GA), and adventive on lime mortar of old buildings and walls (as in Wilmington and Fayetteville, NC); in the Mountains and Interior Low Plateau on limestone or other calcareous sedimentary rocks.
COMMENTS: Widespread on several continents, in e. North America largely southern in distribution, from e. NC, w. VA, MO, CO, UT, and CO south; also disjunct in SD and BC, and in Mexico, the West Indies, tropical and warm temperate portions of Central and South America, Eurasia, and Africa. There is some question whether North American plants are conspecific with those in the Old World (Paris in FNA 1993b).
RANGE MAP: Adiantum capillus-veneris.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 L. (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 capillus-veneris in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Adiantum capillus-veneris in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Adiantum capillus-veneris in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Adiantum capillus-veneris in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Adiantum capillus-veneris in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Adiantum capillus-veneris

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 8559 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 8559 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 8560 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 8559 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)