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Adiantum formosum, the giant maidenhair or black stem maidenhair, is a fern from eastern and south-eastern Australia and New Zealand's North Island, growing up to about 2 m tall with glossy black stems. It likes shade, steady moisture and humidity, and a sheltered spot.
Adiantum formosum, known as the giant maidenhair or black stem maidenhair is a fern found in Australia and New Zealand. It was one of the many species authored by Scottish botanist Robert Brown, appearing in his 1810 work Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen. Its species name is the Latin adjective formosus "handsome" or "beautiful".
Adiantum formosum is an attractive plant, with fronds up to 120 cm (48 in) high. The rhizome of this species is unusually deep, up to 60 cm (24 in) below into the earth. The stems are black and can reach 90 cm (36 in) in length, while the fronds or blades are triangular with rectangular segments. The last segment of the frond is irregular and asymmetrical, on a short stem. This maidenhair fern can grow to 2 metres (7 ft) tall. The smallest segments of the fronds are the pinnules, which are wedge-shaped, rectangular or trapezoid.
Adiantum aethiopicum · Aleutian maidenhair · Common maidenhair · Rough maidenhair · California maidenhair · Silver Dollar Maidenhair Fern · Delta maidenhair · Himalayan maidenhair fern · Maidenhair fern
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Adiantum formosum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
