Carried by 7 nurseries
View Availability at NurseryData provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria
View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora
The Southern Maiden Hair is a species of fern with a semi-worldwide distribution. It occurs in numerous locations and habitats throughout California, always growing where it is somewhat shaded and in moist but not saturated soil. It is often found near springs, seeps or stream banks, including desert palm oases. This native fern is hardy to USDA zone 7.
The Southern Maiden Hair fern grows 6 to 28 inches tall and 6 to 24 inches wide. The foliage is delicate and lacy, featuring dark stripes that accentuate the green leaves. Like most ferns, it forms a basal clump that will gradually grow outward in size if there is space. This fern can go summer dormant if it becomes too dry and/or receives too much direct sunlight, but usually regenerates new foliage after supportive conditions return.
This fern is also commonly grown as a houseplant.
Fern
3 - 20 in Tall
2 ft Wide
Upright, Fountain
Moderate
Evergreen, Summer Semi-deciduous
None
Containers, Deer resistant, Groundcover
Deep Shade, Partial Shade
Moderate, High
Keep moist, Max 3x / month once established
Moderate
Tolerates cold to 25° F
Medium
Best in moist loamy soil, tolerates clay.
Soil PH: 4.0 - 8.0
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7*, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13*, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*
Rocky streambanks, springs, seeps, and other moist but not saturated areas, usually with part shade or full shade
Chaparral, Foothill Woodland, Valley Grassland, Yellow Pine Forest, Wetland-Riparian
Trees - Alders (Alnus spp.), Oaks (Quercus spp.), Cottonwood (Populus spp.), Ponderosa Pine, California Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera)
Other shade plants - Deer Fern (Blechnum spicant), Horsetails (Equisetum spp.), Polypody Ferns (Polypodium spp.), Sword Ferns (Polystichum spp.), Giant Chain Fern (Woodwardia fimbriata), Meadow Rue (Thalictrum spp.), Yerba Buena (Clinopodium douglasii), Western Columbine (Aquilegia formosa), Monkeyflowers (Mimulus cardinalis or M. guttatus)