Maidenhair fern

For more care advice about Venus, check out our complete guide to maidenhair fern care.

Known as maidenhair fern or Venus hair fern for the way its delicate long leaves gently waft in the breeze, this plant is native to tropical regions around the world. It makes a very soft and elegant houseplant.

It’s used to growing on rocks around waterfalls, which means it likes a large amount of moisture. It likes its soil gently moist and lots of humidity in the air. It’s a fantastic plant for a bathroom, where it can enjoy the regular steam. If it can’t live in the bathroom, mist it as often as you can. It will also thank you if you feed it with liquid fertiliser once a month in spring and summer.

If you notice brown leaves at the bottom of the plant, don’t worry. New growth appears from the centre of the plant and old, lower leaves die off to make room. It’s just part of the plant’s life cycle. Any brown leaves can be carefully trimmed off.

Because of its delicate nature and higher demands, we’d recommend this to more experienced growers. It’s not too difficult to care for, but it needs daily attention. It likes to be pampered a bit, but it’s worth it.

Did you know?

The scientific name comes from the Greek word ‘adiantos’, meaning ‘unwetted’, because water rolls off the leaves.