Asplenium trichomanes
Maidenhair Spleenwort
Common names: Brown Stem Spleenwort, Brown Spleenwort
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Pot size
- from 3 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −30 °C
- Water need
- Low
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: Johan N · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Asplenium trichomanes, known in German as Braunstieliger Streifenfarn, is a tiny evergreen fern. Its narrow fronds grow only 5 to 20 cm long and consist of two rows of small, rounded pinnules attached to a glossy, dark brown-black midrib. They grow in small clusters from crevices and joints. In the wild it occurs in rock crevices, on old walls and in open, stony woodland, from lowland to mountain elevations. In the garden it is a suitable joint-dweller for dry stone walls, stair joints, rock gardens and shallow troughs in partial shade, where its fine pattern enlivens the stone. It grows slowly and stays small, does not spread aggressively, but readily establishes itself by spores in new joints.
Care instructions
Plant the spleenwort in April or September into a wall joint or rock crevice, ideally on the north or east side, where it is not exposed to midday sun for long. Beforehand, fill the joint with a mixture of chippings, sand and some humus, and press the root ball firmly in. Water regularly during the first summer, after which rain is usually sufficient. Lime mortar and calcareous stone are not a problem, but wet, heavy soil is. No pruning is needed; remove brown fronds in March with small scissors if they bother you. Common mistakes are full sun, constant waterlogging and a planting site without drainage. In a pot or trough, use lean, very well-draining soil.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, lean, lime-loving
The maidenhair spleenwort needs no real soil, but a crevice. It grows in cracks in walls and rocks where a little humus and dust has collected, preferably calcareous. It feels particularly at home in dry-stone walls with lime mortar or made of limestone, though it also occurs on siliceous rock. In a pot or trough, mix plenty of grit and sand with some leaf mould and limestone chippings. It does not tolerate waterlogging; water must drain away quickly.
Feeding
Light feeder
The maidenhair spleenwort needs no fertiliser. In its crevices it finds hardly any nutrients and still does well; extra applications are more likely to harm it. In a pot, it is enough to top up with some fresh, lean soil in spring every few years.
Overwintering
The maidenhair spleenwort is evergreen and completely hardy. In a wall crevice you need do nothing; the fronds stay standing over winter. In a pot or trough, place the container against a sheltered wall, ideally under an overhanging roof, so it does not stand wet all the time. On frost-free days, water sparingly so the root ball does not dry out completely.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Division
The maidenhair spleenwort spreads by itself through spores and often settles in old walls on its own. The spore clusters sit as narrow stripes on the undersides of the fronds; they give the fern its German name. If you want to help it along, divide small clumps in April: carefully lift out a piece with roots, set it into a wall crevice or into lean, stony soil and keep it moist during the first summer. You can also scatter spores on moist, lean soil and keep them shaded. Growth is slow, so patience is called for.
For your garden
Grow Maidenhair Spleenwort yourself
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