Common Name:

Synonym(s):

Asplenium abscissum, Asplenium platyneuron, Asplenium heterochroum, Asplenium heteroresiliens, Asplenium xheteroresiliens

Genus species:

Asplenium spp.

Family:

Aspleniaceae

Form:

Size:

Most 0.5-1 ft tall, most up to 1 ft wide

Life Span:

Flower Color:

Fruit Color:

Phenology:

Noted For:

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.

Considerations:

Availability:

Propagation:

Division or spores. Osorio (2001) indicated that this species has no vegetative spread and that it very rarely spreads from spores. Treasure it if you have it.

Light:

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

--| <----------------->

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:

Suitable to Grow In:

9A, 9B, 10A, 10B

Wildlife:

Native Habitats:

Natural Range in Florida:

Visit the USF Libraries Atlas of Florida Plants

Ethnobotany:

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.