Love the, is this the northern version or your southern cousin? While largely similar, that could yield at least a part of the answer, the northern version of course being more sensitive to FL sun. Up here-which may not be applicable at all-most ferns can indeed take a fair amount of direct sun, if......moisture is plentiful. That factoid may also have some bearing on your decision .

+oM

Hi Tom,

Thanks for your help. I'm not sure which one I have, and I've read that there are over 200 varieties (?!). Maybe you can tell me? Here are some photos of this sad gal. I've taken care of the mealybugs but recovery has been slow. The pot is plastic even though it looks like terracotta/clay. That is a ray of morning sunlight coming in... not yellow leaves.

Carol

I don't think it can take any sun, and certainly not in FL. Ive tried in Houston, with no success. A neighbor has one in complete shade and thriving, I think she keeps it moist, too.

Thanks for all of the replies. This is one of those plants that seems to be too needy - and I'm a plant lover - but I'm not sure I can serve it properly. I've given it one of the Jackson kid's names: Jermajesty!

Carol

Carol, I have Several ferns, including two maidenhairs. As someone said they can take some sun, but they prefer bright indirect light. Think of where they grow, near streams in wooded areas with thick canopies and of course lots of humidity - which we don't lack around here. And maidenhairs require even more water than most other ferns. Some growers, including myself, keep them in standing water. I grow all my ferns indoors in my plantroom with very bright light. I hope this helps.

Bea said: Some growers, including myself, keep them in standing water.

Woah, ho, ho! Ok! Thanks, Bea. So glad you said the word! I can do that - easily - have done that for several other plants and it made all the difference in the world! Australian Tree Fern and Colocasia 'Mojito' come to mind. Goes from unhappy to happy in no time - I hope that happens with Jermajesty. Is yours in a pot with no drainage holes, or a pot with drainage holes and water maintained in a saucer underneath?

Thanks!
Carol

Pot with drainage holes, saucer underneath. I keep about 1/2-1" water in them. Here is how much they like water. I grow carnivorous plants and have several small ones in an aquarium. The pots are in water up to the rim. One of the plants must have had some maidenhair spores in it and one sprouted! The fern happily grew there until it no longer fit the space.

Carol your plant doesn't really look that bad. I've seen them look worse & bounce back. One of mine got scale. I lost all the leaves, gave it a haircut & left it alone. It grew back. Their appearance belies how tough these plants are.

Bea, you're too nice regarding the appearance. I don't like a plant with a hole in the middle. This one was gifted to me in March by a family whose father recently died. He was quite a gardener and owned a native plant nursery in Jacksonville for many years. He was in his 90s and lived in the same senior residential community as my mother. The family gave me four of his plants: a coontie - which went into the ground in my garden - and was a new plant for me - I had no coonties; an ivy, a creeping fig, and this maidenhair fern.

It had some scale and I gently and carefully treated that with the swab and rubbing alcohol method. Jermajesty was not happy 'bout that: more die-back in return for all my TLC.

Thanks to all for your advice. I am going to put it in the water saucer as soon as I finish this post and see if I can't make His Highness content. I'll post a follow-up in a few months.

Carol

Maiden hair ferns have spores on the leaves. That is how they reproduce. My fern dies back in the winter and comes back every spring. It is several years old.

hi

I can't tell from the pic but it looks like Adiantum capilus veneris, venus maidenhair?? There are over 200 types . they range all over the world from temperate to tropics so obviously would have much different conditions. I grow them in pots in my deep shade garden area . IME they will tolerate very deep shade but no direct sun. they seem to like a LOT of water but will rot if too much croak if too little .

The usual wisdom for them is bright indirect light ,moisture retaining ,organic soil but well draining temps above 60 even for the temperates .

While I follow all that mine always tend to look a bit sparse .

When I was in Costa Rica I saw them growing by the gazillions in "seep" areas as well as rock faces constantly sprayed from waterfalls. have no idea which kind but they were gorgeous!!lol

I've moved mine to a dedicated fern bed underneath some tree ferns where I'm using only rainwater. I'm suspicious of my very hard alkaline tap water. too soon to tell if effective but the tree ferns are responding as well as some other types, Time will tell i guess Good luck gary

Gary et al, if I'm not mistaken all Adiantums are calciphiles, that is, they appreciate lime in the soil. I know for certain this is the case with our northern version, but I bet that relationship holds true throughout the genus. Should be good in many parts of Florida with all the limestone, old coral, etc.

+om

hi

Have never been able to grow them at all in my soil. Moisture is the main problem ,my soil is like talcum powder mixed with seashells . It must rain at least an inch to accept any water at all lol In pots with usually a mix of pine bark fines and black cow . they hang on just never grow to potential. I believe what I have is Adiantum peruvianum which ranges into the high elevations of the Andes. so I suspect heat is a problem ,certainly does MUCH better during winter.

There are several Adiantums that are native to florida ,I'm sure they would be a MUCH better choice lol

Another that has been giving me fits is Blue jade fern, Microsorum thailandicum. while it grows never lives up to potential. Smaller and always green . have been told it's an obligate limestone epiphyte Given the area where it originates would seem reasonable BUT none of the nurseries use the method . More experimenting lol Got to be the worlds most gorgeous fern when happy!! Thanks gary

I'm looking that one up!

+oM

Ps....and now, this....http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Microsorum%20thailandicum%20pc.html

Hi

It is from that source that I got it was an obligate limestone lithophyte not epiphyte lol There is a local nursery that grows them and they use a standard potting mix. though with lots of bark. which is where I got my original plant.. have been following their method . While it works they don't live up to expectations ,remaining shorter, narrower, and remain a dark green, When happy the leaves look like polished stone being very blue ,shiny and so intense they almost glow .Originally I grew them in my large terrarium where they did the best. have discontinued the terrarium and moved them to the very shady "house plant" section in the garden. Have now moved them to the dedicated fern bed where they get daily moisture deep shade rainwater only,may try the lime stone if I don't see a marked improvement.

Microsorum is a very odd genus many of them are obligate water plants some are true epiphytes and some just grow like any other fern

Very hard to see what makes them related about all that's obvious is that they are ferns lol gary

Bea, you were right. Plant was much tougher than I thought! And amazing what a year outside will do for a plant. Jermajesty has spent the past year getting fresh air, rain, dappled sunlight and air movement. He lived under the magnolia tree throughout the winter. I never catered to him at all.

Same plant, less TLC, more happy. I may have to withdraw the regal title and call him Al.

Carol