What Does the Maidenhair Fern Look Like? Its Benefits, Effects, and Key Points for Indoor Cultivation

Maidenhair fern (Zhu Zong Cao), a name in traditional Chinese medicine. It is distributed in East China, Central South China, Southwest China, as well as Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu and other places.So what does the maidenhair fern look like? What are its benefits and effects? How do you grow it? What are the key points for indoor cultivation?

What does the maidenhair fern look like?

1. Maidenhair fern is also known as Zhu Mao Qi, Yan Zong, Zhu Zong Cao, Tie Xian Cao, Tie Si Niu, Yu Lin Cao, Wu Jiao Mang, Zhu Zong Qi, Xiang Long Cao, Shi Zhong Zhu, Zhu Mao Qi, Xiao Zhu Mao Qi, Zhu Mao Fei Jin Cao, Shi Chang Sheng, Qing Si Huan Yang, Peng Peng Cao, Tie Guang Gun, Tie Si Fen Jin, Shui Zhu Mao Qi, Zhu Zong Qi, Zhu Zong Qi, Hei Cao, Fan Ye Tie Xian Jue (fan-leaved maidenhair fern), Fei Xin Cao, Yan Jia, Sao Ba Qi, Tie Gu Lang Qi.

2. The maidenhair fern plant is 15-40 cm tall. The rhizome is slender and creeps horizontally, densely covered with brown lanceolate scales. The fronds are distant or nearly clustered; the stipe is 5-20 cm long, about 1 mm thick, slender, chestnut-black, glossy, with scales at the base the same as those on the rhizome, smooth above; the lamina is ovate-triangular, 10-25 cm long, 8-16 cm wide, with a pointed tip and cuneate base, mostly bipinnate below the middle and odd-pinnate above the middle; the pinnae are in 3-5 pairs, alternate, slanting upward, stalked (up to 1.5 cm long), the basal pair larger, 4.5-9 cm long, 2.5-4 cm wide, oblong-ovate, with a rounded obtuse tip, once (rarely twice) odd-pinnate; the lateral ultimate pinnules are in 2-4 pairs, alternate, slanting upward, 6-15 mm apart, nearly equal in size or the basal pair slightly larger, symmetrically or asymmetrically obliquely fan-shaped or nearly obliquely square, 1.2-2 cm long, 1-1.5 cm wide, with a rounded upper margin bearing 2-4 shallow or deep lobes divided into strip-like segments; the sterile lobes have obtuse-rounded tips with broad triangular small serrations or erose small teeth; the fertile lobes are truncate at the tip, straight or slightly sunken, entire or with erose small teeth on both sides, entire on the two sides, gradually narrowing at the base into an oblique broad cuneate shape, with a slender chestnut-black short stalk (1-2 mm long); the terminal pinnule is fan-shaped, with a narrow cuneate base, often larger than the lateral pinnules below it, with a stalk up to 1 cm long; the second pair of pinnae is 2.5-5 cm from the basal pair, and each pair above is the same shape as the basal pair but gradually smaller. The veins are dichotomously branched many times, reaching the margin, conspicuous on both surfaces. The lamina is thinly herbaceous when dry, grass-green or brownish-green, hairless on both surfaces; the rachis, the rachises of each order, and the pinnule stalks are the same color as the stipe, often slightly zigzag to the left and right. The sori are 3-10 per pinna, borne transversely on the upper margin of the fertile ultimate pinnules; the indusium is long, long-kidney-shaped to round-kidney-shaped, with a straight upper margin, pale yellow-green, brown when old, membranous, entire, persistent. The spore perispore has a coarsely granular ornamentation, often preserved after treatment.

What are the benefits and effects of maidenhair fern?

Maidenhair fern, also known as Zhu Mao Qi, Zhu Zong Cao, Tie Xian Cao and so on, is the whole plant of the maidenhair fern (Adiantum), a plant of the Adiantaceae family. Used as medicine, it has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, and promoting diuresis to treat strangury. It has therapeutic effects on conditions such as colds and fever, lung-heat cough, damp-heat diarrhea, dysentery, strangury and turbid urine, leukorrhea, acute mastitis, scrofula, furunculosis, scalds, and venomous snake bites.

How do you grow maidenhair fern?

1. Sufficient water: generally keep the soil moist, and note that during the period when it grows into a mature plant it needs sufficient water, and appropriately increase air humidity in dry weather. In summer it must not be allowed to lack water; daily watering must not be wet one moment and dry the next, as this causes the leaves to turn yellow.

2. Suitable temperature: although maidenhair fern is not very demanding about temperature, you still need to pay attention to high summer temperatures and low winter temperatures. Generally in winter, just keep the indoor temperature above 5°C; in summer, place it in a cool, ventilated spot and keep it at around 25°C. If exposed to direct sunlight, the leaves will be scorched directly.

3. The soil fertility must not be too poor. Generally maidenhair fern grows in sandy soil rich in humus, or you can buy potting soil to cultivate it. Fertilize once a month, applying fertilizer down to the roots, and repotting and changing the soil in spring each year when it needs to grow is also very important.

4. Maidenhair fern is a relatively easy fern to cultivate. Unlike Anthurium, cyclamen, and hollyhock, it only needs a suitable environment and can be grown with rough, extensive care. Once it grows into a mature plant, its form is graceful, small and unobtrusive; placed in a small pot on a desk or used as decoration in a rock bonsai, it looks very nice and is suitable for indoor viewing all year round.

Appendix: Key points for indoor cultivation of maidenhair fern

Maidenhair fern is a plant of the Adiantaceae family. It likes shade, has strong adaptability, is easy to cultivate, and has a strong ability to purify the air, making it even more suitable for indoor potted viewing all year round. Its key cultivation points are as follows:

1. Choose a flower pot and substrate suitable for the growth of maidenhair fern

When potting, choose a light-colored glazed pot or clay pot. The potting soil must have good water permeability and aeration. Generally use humus-rich peat soil or leaf mold, then add about 1/3 coarse sand and fine sand, and put in some bone meal. The bottom of the pot should be lined with some broken tiles or coarse sand to facilitate drainage. Plant the rhizome at a depth of 1.5-2.5 cm.

2. Temperature and light suitable for the growth of maidenhair fern

Maidenhair fern likes a warm, humid, and semi-shaded environment. The suitable growth temperature is 21-25°C during the day and 12-15°C at night. In winter it should be moved into a greenhouse; at temperatures above 5°C the leaves can still remain fresh green, but below 5°C the leaves will suffer frost damage. It likes bright diffused light and fears direct sun. In midsummer, avoid strong direct sunlight and provide appropriate shading; long periods of strong direct light will cause most of the leaves to turn yellow and wither. Indoors, it should be placed in a bright spot; even if placed there for 1 year, it can still grow normally.

3. Water and fertilize at the right time

Maidenhair fern likes a humid environment. During the peak growing season, water and spray thoroughly. In addition to keeping the potting soil moist, also pay attention to maintaining relatively high air humidity; when the air is dry, sprinkle water around the plant. Especially in summer, water 1-2 times a day; if it lacks water, the leaves will shrivel. Avoid watering so that the potting soil is sometimes dry and sometimes wet, which easily turns the leaves yellow. Apply diluted liquid fertilizer 2-3 times a month; when fertilizing, do not stain the leaf surface, so as to avoid rotting leaves. Because maidenhair fern likes calcium, it is advisable to add an appropriate amount of lime and crushed eggshells to the potting soil; frequently applying calcium fertilizer will give even better results. In winter, reduce watering and stop fertilizing.