Great Plant Pick: Hart’s Tongue fern, Fimbriatum group

Published 1:30 am Friday, January 21, 2022

What: Asplenium scolopendrium (Hart’s Tongue fern), Fimbriatum group, unrolls into long, narrow bright green strap-like blades, but with the unique characteristic of the fronds being delicately fringed along the edge of the leaf blade. It’s a distinctive perennial for the shade garden.

Where: Place this fern in a light to deep shade location and water regularly during dry periods. It tolerates some morning sun, but hot or afternoon sun will cause it to yellow or burn. It is a slow grower, needing a year to settle in before growing well

Size: Grows to 1½ feet tall by 1½ feet wide in 10 years.

Care: Cut the fronds to the ground in late February or early March.