Maidenhair Fern – Adiantum raddianum

Common Name: Maidenhair Fern

Botanical Name: Adiantum raddianum, ad-i-AN-tum rad-de-AN-um

Decorative Life: Generally rather short, from about 3-7 days.

• Member of the Polypodiaceae (one of the fern families) with common relatives including staghorn, brake and sword ferns as well as spleenwort.
• Adiantum is from the Greek “adiantos” meaning unwetted, name used for a plant with impermeable leaves.

• Stems are wiry and dark colored. Fronds are divided in a palmate manner. Leaflets fan-shaped, thin and bright green.

• For those Chain of Life Network Members wanting more detailed information about the florists’ greens industry, it is highly recommended that Robert Stamps’ article entitled Florists’ Botanicals (2001) be read.

In one experiment, Fujino et al. (1981) showed that vaselife was not increased when the stems were recut.