Great Plant Pick: Adiantum x mairisii, Mairis’ maidenhair fern

Published 1:30 am Friday, August 27, 2021

What: Adiantum x mairisii has dainty green leaflets borne on black stems. They provide an ethereal, delicate appearance to this Mairis’ maidenhair fern. This beautiful fern provides a tidy clump and is deciduous during cold weather but, in springtime, the fronds emerge and grow 15 to 18 inches tall.

Where: Plant this perennial fern in a shaded site — light, open, or dappled in rich, well-drained soil.

Size: This fern will grow to be 1-foot-6 with a spread of 3 feet in 10 years.

Care: Provide Mairis’ maidenhair fern with regular watering during dry periods, or even frequent watering during hot spells.

— Richie Steffen, Great Plant Picks