Wildflowers of the United States

Home Journal Family Index - All States Photo Albums News About Privacy

Northern Maidenhair, Five-Fingered Maidenhair Fern - Adiantum pedatum


Family: Pteridaceae - Maidenhair Fern family Genus Common Name: Maidenhair Fern Native Status: NativeFern Perennial Herb
Adiantum pedatum - Northern Maidenhair, Five-Fingered Maidenhair Fern. While not a flowering plant, the beauty of Maidenhair Fern warrants a place on this website. There are 28 species of Adiantum - Maidenhair Fern - in the United States (200 worldwide,) but only 3 with wide distribution - A. aleucitum - a western species (sometimes classified as a subspecies of A. pedatum), A. Adiantum capillus-veneris - found mostly in the southern part of the United States, and this species, A. pedatum - Northern Maidenhair Fern, which is found in most of the eastern 2/3 of the country.

Found in:
AK, AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV

Leave comments on Adiantum pedatum at this link.
Adiantum pedatum

Distribution of Adiantum pedatum in the United States and Canada:
USDA Map temporarily unavailable.
Blue=Native; Grey=Introduced

Map from USDA Plants Database:
USDA, NRCS. 2017. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 16 Jan 2025). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.

Search Our Database: Enter any portion of the Scientific, Common Name, or both.
Scientific name:
Common name:

Example: Enter "lob" in the common name field and you'll get all our species that have "lobelia" in the common name, as well as "sharp-lobed hepatica".

Do a general Google search of the entire site:

Follow on Twitter
Follow USWildflowers on Twitter



Site: Big Frog Mountain, Polk County, TN Date: 2010-May-02Photographer: Gerald C. Williamson
Nikon D60
The frond of Adiantum pedatum (as well as that of A. aleucitum) forms a near circle.
Adiantum pedatum
#ad
Adiantum pedatum initially published on USWildflowers.com 2010-09-16; Updated 2015-06-24

Commercial / Cookie Notice

Looking for Wildflowers for a specific state? Check here: