A delicate fern with airy fan-shaped leaflets on slim black wiry stems, found near waterfalls worldwide and famously challenging as a houseplant.
Description
Maidenhair fern has lacy fan-shaped leaflets that quiver on slim shiny black stems. Several species hang from limestone cliffs and stream banks where the air is constantly humid.
Cultivation
This fern demands constant humidity, gentle filtered light, and water that is not chlorinated or hard. Brown crisp foliage is usually the result of dry air, common in heated homes.
Uses
The graceful sprays are sometimes used by florists in delicate arrangements. Maidenhair has long been used in herbal teas and shampoos in Mediterranean traditional medicine.