Made in the Shade

Hart's tongue fern have an attractive form and texture.

A mature 12 year old hart's tongue fern.

Hart's tongue ferns mix well with other shade plants.

New fronds unfurl like tongues.

Spores are fern's reproductive sporangia, which produce more ferns.

A newly planted hart's tongue fern.

Fronds resemble shiny ribbons.

Fronds arise from a central basal plate to form a rosette.

Mature ferns produce brown reproductive structures called spores (sori) on the back of the fronds.

Common Name:  hart’s tongue fern
Botanical Name:  Asplenium scolopendrium 
Genus:  Asplenium
Species:  scolopendrium 
Plant Type: rhizomatous, evergreen herbaceous perennial
Family:  Aspleniaceae
Mature Size:  1’ to 1.5’ tall & wide
Form:   vase
Growth: slow
Origin:  Europe
Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Foliage:  evergreen, narrow, erect, arching,1-18” long, strap-like, deep shiny green, wavy margins, leathery
Flowers: non-flowering
Fruit: non-fruiting
Stems:  erect arching stems arise from a basal crown
Exposure:  part to full shade
Soil:  prefers moist soil, humus rich, well-drained, limestone-best, organic mulch, containers
Uses:  cottage woodland, borders, ground cover, naturalizing,
Invasive Tendencies: no
Tolerates: shade, rabbits, alkaline
Propagation: spores, division of clumps
Pruning:  remove damaged and dead fronds
​Problems:  root rot occurs if soil too wet
Awards: Royal Horticulture Society Garden Award of Merit
Comments: 
 
The Hart’s tongue fern, Asplenium scolopendrium, is a hardy evergreen fern with glossy, arching, ribbon-like green fronds with wavy margins. Their foliage is attractively arranged in a circular pattern referred to as a rosette. The Hart’s tongue fern is so named due to their long narrow fronds that unroll like tongues. Fronds sport a distinctive herringbone pattern on the undersides.
 
This charming fern prefers a shady, moist woodland environment where the soil is rich and humusy. However, it will rot if the soil is too wet and doesn’t drain well. It prefers a neutral to alkaline soil of 6.5–8.0.
 
Hart’s tongue ferns will become dry, crispy and brown if it receives hot afternoon sun, prolonged sun exposure and not enough water. Protect the soil from heat and retain soil moisture by laying a 3-inch layer of an organic mulch over top of the soil. Remove any dead and brown fronds in spring.
 
How to Plant:
Select a part shade to shady location that’s protected from direct sun from the west and south.
Amend the soil by mixing in a minimum of 3 inches of compost, SeaSoil, leaf mould and other organic goodies. Loosen the roots before planting into a hole that is the same depth as the roots. Mix in bonemeal according to directions and place the plant so the crown (where the roots and stem meet), is level with the soil surface. Press the plant firmly into the ground then cover the roots with more soil and press firmly so there are no air pockets between the roots and soil.
 
Add a liquid transplant fertilizer according to the directions then apply around the plant thoroughly wetting the soil. Do not water it every day. Check the soil with your hand and water accordingly.

A generous amount of fall leaves makes a perfect & necessary mulch.

---