We’ve had the native maidenhair fern in our garden a few times. The first was about twenty years ago in the woodland garden near the pond, where one fern really took off and grew beautifully, but then faded away. This year, when I added my new native garden, I added A. pedatum.

These ferns are remarkable in their delicate, intricate beauty. Each frond is a miracle of design. And a well-growing plant is awe-inspiring. My new maidenhair isn’t well-growing yet, but it is on its way to that level.

My future plans for this plant are to keep up with watering it during dry spells in its second year and making sure it gets the right amount of shade. Beyond that, I want to grab some spores off of it and start them in a terrarium in the greenhouse next year.