Asplenium spp.

Spleenwort

Aspleniaceae

Also known as Asplenium abscissum, Asplenium platyneuron, Asplenium heterochroum, Asplenium heteroresiliens, Asplenium xheteroresiliens

Plant Specifics

Form:	Fern
Size:	Most 0.5 to 1 ft tall by Most 1 ft wide
Life Span:	Short-lived perennial
Flower Color:	NA
Fruit Color:	NA
Phenology:	Evergreen
Noted for:	Interesting foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:	Retain and treasure if already present. Spleenworts can be used in rock gardens where they grow well on limestone boulders. Many will also do well on logs. A few (such as Asplenium abscissum) can be grown as groundcovers.
Propagation:	Division or spores. Osorio (2001) indicated that this is species has no vegetative spread and that it very rarely spreads from spored. Treasure it if you have it.
Availability:	Specialty providers
Light:	Shade
Moisture Tolerance:	always floodedextremely dry
	(Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Not wet but not extremely dry)
Moisture Tolerance:	Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Not wet but not extremely dry
Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:	Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance:	Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
Soil or other substrate:	Loam, Lime rock, Sand
Soil pH:	High for rockland species.

Ecology

Wildlife:
Insects:
Native Habitats:	Around sinkholes and on rocks. Epiphytic on logs and trees. Moist sites.

Distribution and Planting Zones

Comments

General Comments:

Many spleenworts are rare. Please do not harvest from the wild. Most spleenworts have very narrow ranges and narrow environmental tolerances. Don't confuse with the invasive tuberous sword fern Nephrolepis cordifolia--if the fern spreads via rhizomes and is abundant, it's probably the sword fern.