Asplenium

Spleenwort ferns are members of the Spleenwort (Aspleniaceae) family. The scientific and common names are both derived from an ancient Greek belief that the structure of herbal plants revealed insights into their medicinal value. Ferns in this family were considered useful for treating disorders of the spleen because observers thought that their sori resembled a human spleen. The native range of this genus is Cosmopolitan.

The most commonly cultivated Asplenium species in North Carolina gardens include the Hart’s Tongue Fern (Asplenium scolopendrium), Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron) and Maidenhair Spleenwort (Asplenium trichomones). The latter two are NC native species. A common house plant from this genus is the tropical bird’s nest fern (Asplenium nidus).

These ferns are typically evergreen, small to medium in size and include both terrestrial, rupestral and epiphytic species. The leaves of some Asplenium species serve as a food source for the larvae of some butterflies and moths. These ferns can be propagated by division in the late winter to early spring or cultured from spores in the spring.

Asplenium species are often used outdoors as groundcovers or accents. Many species grow in the cracks of rocks and add texture to rock walls. They can also be grown in containers or indoors. Some of the fronds are ornamental and used in floral arrangements.

Quick ID Hints:

• Fronds: almost exclusively monomorphic, evergreen, variable in complexity
• Rachis: stipes are often short and dark in color
• Sori: linear, arranged in a herringbone pattern, along a central vein of the pinnae, covered by a narrow indusium that opens like a clamshell.