Asplenium scolopendrium
Hart's-tongue fern
At a glance
- Light
- Shade
- Pot size
- from 5 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Hardy
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Description
The common name translates to "deer tongue" and refers to the plant’s unlobed, strap‑shaped fronds that resemble a tongue. It is a wintergreen fern that originates from shaded, calcareous forests. In the garden it thrives in moist, humus‑rich sites with a high lime content. The leathery, glossy fronds remain green throughout winter, providing structure in shady beds when many other plants have gone dormant. It grows upright, spreads slowly, and is well suited for rock gardens, wall cracks, and shaded borders under trees.
Care instructions
Plant in a semi‑shaded to shaded spot with loose, humus‑rich, lime‑rich soil. Keep the soil consistently moist but avoid waterlogging; extra watering is appreciated during dry summer weeks. A mulch layer of leaf or bark compost retains moisture and supplies nutrients. Remove old, brown fronds in early spring before new growth, otherwise the fern requires little care. Repotting or division is rarely necessary because it grows slowly and compactly.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
moist, humus-rich, well-drained, lime-loving
The hart's-tongue fern likes it humus-rich and permanently moist, without waterlogging. A loose, lime-rich soil with plenty of leaf compost comes closest to its natural habitat in shady limestone and ravine woodland. On pure sand or heavy, compacted loam it stays stunted.
Feeding
Light feeder
This fern hardly needs any additional feeding. An annual mulch layer of leaf compost or well-rotted fallen leaves in spring is quite enough to replenish humus and moisture in the root area. Do without mineral fertilisers; they do not suit its undemanding woodland-floor character.
Overwintering
The hart's-tongue fern is hardy in Central Europe and often keeps its leathery, undivided fronds green through the winter as well. A loose mulch layer of leaves additionally protects the root area from frost and keeps the soil moist. Only in early spring should you cut off old, unsightly fronds, before the new ones unfurl.
Propagation
Methods
- Division
- From seed
The easiest way to propagate the hart's-tongue fern is by dividing established clumps in spring or autumn. Carefully separate a piece with roots of its own and plant it straight away in a semi-shaded, moist spot. If you are patient, you can also sow it from the spores on the underside of the fronds, although this takes much longer until the first visible plant.
For your garden
Grow Hart's-tongue fern yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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