Asplenium rhizophyllum

Common Names

Walking Fern, Walking Spleenwort, Walking Leaf Fern, American Walking Fern

Summary

Asplenium rhizophyllum, commonly known as walking fern, is a small evergreen fern native to eastern North America, it forms tufts on shaded, rocky, alkaline outcrops such as limestone ledges and mossy boulders, sometimes on northern exposure or fallen trunks, and is distinguished by leaf tips that root when touching moist ground to form new plantlets, giving a walking, clonal spread, fronds are simple, lanceolate with long attenuate tips, evergreen, typically 2–12 inches long, with cordate or auriculate bases and numerous sori on the undersides along the veins, its life cycle centers on spores produced May–October and vegetative propagation from leaf-tip plantlets, enabling dense colonies in suitable habitats, in cultivation, it prefers shaded, moist environments with high humidity and alkaline, rocky soils, tolerating well-draining loam but not prolonged drought; propagation by separated rooted plantlets is possible, and it is used as an environmental ornamental plant in native or rock garden settings, globally secure (G5) though regional statuses vary, with some states or provinces reporting endangerment or imperilment at range edges

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

2-12 inches

Spread

6-12 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 4a-8a

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally partial shade to full shade. Does not tolerate full sun.

Soil Type

Calcareous limestone soil on rocky, shaded, moist ledges

Soil Drainage

Moist, well-drained soil.

Soil pH

Alkaline soils, pH greater than 8.0.

Bloom Time

It does not bloom.

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen broadleaf

Growth Rate

Rapid

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.

Propagation Methods

Spores, Layering

Attracts Wildlife

No wildlife attracted