The northern maidenhair is one of my favorite native, perennial ferns. These were grown from spore that I collected while working at Jenkins in 2024, then sown immediately.

Find the northern maidenhair in the wild

Though the Maidenhair has a wide range and grows abundantly in many localities, it possesses a quality of aloofness which adds to its charm. Even in neighborhoods where it grows profusely, it rarely crowds to the roadside or becomes the companion of your daily walks. Its chosen haunts are dim, moist hollows in the woods or shaded hill-sides sloping to the river. In such retreats you find the feathery fronds tremulous on their black, glistening stalks, and in their neighborhood you find also the very spirit of the woods. (Frances Theodora Parsons, How To Know The Ferns, p. 111)

Grow the northern maidenhair in your garden.

Ideal plant for light shade to full shade gardens, though I have seen it tolerate a good bit of sun. You will want to make sure wherever you site it has some shade during the hottest part of the day. They can also tolerate average moisture that most garden plants are accustomed to. Amend the soil with organic matter and keep it mulched (wood chips, leaf mulch) it will be quite happy. They do spread over time via rhizome, but it is not an aggressive fern. Either plant them en-masse, or pop them in to add some textural variety to an otherwise monotone garden bed.

If you want to take your garden to the next level, maybe consider creating a stumpery? The beetles and other woodland insects would love it. I’ve also seen bees nesting among the stumps of fallen trees.

Judgy Judy says…

Nobody’s mistaking this one for a weed. Even people who have zero interest in native gardening may have this one in their gardens. Ferns in general tend to be a safe bet with HOA.