Hart’s Tongue Fern (Asplenium Scolopendrium) – 1 Gallon Pot

A very attractive and hardy perennial evergreen that looks like it came out of the jungle in the Jurassic Period, the Hart’s Tongue Fern forms a pretty rosette to 18 inches tall and wide of bright green, strap-shaped, solid fronds that aren’t divided like other ferns. The fronds remain lush and attractive year round, even during the winter when they provide a gleaming presence in what might be an otherwise dormant, drab garden. It can also be grown in pots as a year round indoor houseplant. It prefers a shady to partially shaded environment. Morning and evening sun are okay but avoid direct afternoon sunlight. You might be happy to know both the deer and rabbits turn their nose up to this fern. 

Growing 12 to 18 inches tall and wide, the Hart’s Tongue Fern can be grown outdoors in USDA Zone 5 to 9 or as a year round indoor houseplant. In the garden, it is ideal for use as an accent in smaller garden spaces, or in groupings or massed as groundcover in shady areas, providing a lush, tropical effect. Excellent as a solo or combined with other shade-loving plants in pots, planters and other containers.  Adds great texture to container plantings. Those of you who garden above USDA Zone 5a, where this fern in not reliably winter hardy, can grow it in containers that can be overwintered indoors.

The Hart’s Tongue Fern is easy to grow in most any moist, humusy, well-drained soil in part shade to full shade. Avoid the direct afternoon sun. Good soil drainage is essential to protect roots from rotting in winter. Using a quality potting when when growing in containers. It prefers a neutral to alkaline soil with a pH of 6.5 to 8, so add pelletized agricultural limestone to sweeten acid soils. Very little maintenance except to snip off a damaged frond when needed. We suggest a feeding with a mild organic fertilizer after new growth has emerged in spring.