Hart's Tongue FernAsplenium scolopendriumHeight: 1' average mature height Zones: 5-8 Find my zone Aspect: deep shade to partial shade Watering: needs regular irrigation, about once per week during hot weather Maximum Water: tolerates wet soils with occasional summer flooding Habit: clump forming with multiple stems Foliage: evergreen Growth Rate: medium
Size Availability
Sold out.
Our main crop of most plants is available starting in late fall.
Additional batches of plugs and quarts are added throughout the year.
Many of our plants are propagated in limited quantities and can sell out quickly when posted, get on the notification list below so you don't miss out. Add your email to be notified as soon as we have them back in stock:
This does NOT subscribe your email to any mailing lists, our system will only send an inventory notification message.
Production notes: currently not in production; often we have replaced this variety with a better alternative but it is still in our catalog as we may produce limited batches in the future
The Hart's Tongue Fern is probably the most unusual looking of all the hardy ferns because of its solid fronds that are often wavy around the edges. Although they prefer shade, these plants will tolerate more sun than most other fern species. In fact, in the wild they are often found growing in cracks in exposed limestone outcrops with little protection from trees.
Planting Instructions
Depending on the season your fern may arrive with actively growing fronds or with the fronds pruned back to the crown level. Plant with the crown just poking out of the soil line and the top of the root mass covered by an inch or less of soil. We prune the roots before shipping plants to ensure they establish quickly, but make sure to spread the roots across the soil rather than balling them into a twisted lump when planting.
Watering and Soil
Ferns prefer to have consistent water through the summer but avoid keeping the ground too wet - lightly moist is ideal. If you are planting ferns in poor soil or boggy locations you can pile up shredded landscaping bark or aged compost and plant directly in that. Painted Ferns naturally grow in decades or centuries worth of decaying fallen needles and branches and don't actually need to grow directly in the soil. Just keep in mind that fresh materials consume a lot of nitrogen as they decompose so adding fertilizer each year ensures the plants will have access to enough to grow to their full potential. Organic matter dries out faster than soil and often doesn't absorb water again very well after drying out completely so drip systems or regular watering greatly improve water retention.
 Clumps of Hart's Tongue Ferns growing in the ground.
Source: Commons
 Close up of the fronds.
Source: Commons
 Clumps of Hart's Tongue Ferns growing in the wild.
Source: Commons
 Ferns shipped in the dead of winter and early spring are usually pruned to ground level.  A one gallon Hart's Tongue Fern shipping in the summer. Packing Plants For ShippingWe pack our plants depending on the needs of each species and size, most plants ship best with the roots packed in moist sawdust or bark fines but some species don't like root disturbance and are shipped in a soil-less growing media. Excess soil is washed from the roots in preparation for shipping (18-24" White Pines)  Plants are bundled together to fit in boxes  Bundles of plants are secured in long boxes. Plant Sizes 3 gallon Dawn Redwood  Standard quart shrub  Standard 14-18" multi-stem tree size  Standard deep plug pine tree Bamboo Plants Are Shipped In Their ContainersBamboo roots are not flexible and so plants have to be shipped in their containers. These plants are heavier and are shipped separately from bare root plants. Because they are potted they can handle longer transit times so can ship via UPS Ground instead of USPS Air Mail. Potted plants can also be shipped year-round.We regularly top our 1 gallon bamboo plants at 24-30 inches tall throughout the growing season. This results in dense, bushy foliage while allowing for economical shipping. From this size most running species will grow to 5-6 feet tall in the first spring and clumping species will usually grow to 4-5 feet tall.  1 gallon bamboo plants strapped in and ready to be sealed. Unpacking Bare Root PlantsYou will be sent tracking details as soon as your plants are shipped. Unpack your plants as quickly as possible after they are delivered. We use two types of boxes, side-sealing and top-sealing. For boxes that are taped along the whole length you can cut the tape on either side and remove the plant bundles by cutting the tape holding the bundle to the bottom. For boxes that are sealed on the top and bottom, it is easiet to open the bottom of the box (the shipping label is at the top) and pull the bundle of plants out straight out. Check that the box is empty as there can be a second bundle of plants stuck towards the top. A bundle of trees. What if I am not able to plant right away?You can usually leave the plants in their shipping container unopened for 1-2 days if there were no shipping delays and you have received your plants from late November through February. Plants shipped when it is warmer can't stay in their packages for as long.For longer term storage of plants you can pot them up or plant them in rows close together temporarily and then pull them out later in the spring to be planted again. This keeps the roots moist while allowing for air flow to the tops. The roots should have good contact with the soil to ensure they have access to adequate moisture. |
Size Availability
Sold out.
Our main crop of most plants is available starting in late fall.
Additional batches of plugs and quarts are added throughout the year.
Many of our plants are propagated in limited quantities and can sell out quickly when posted, get on the notification list below so you don't miss out. Add your email to be notified as soon as we have them back in stock:
This does NOT subscribe your email to any mailing lists, our system will only send an inventory notification message.
Production notes: currently not in production; often we have replaced this variety with a better alternative but it is still in our catalog as we may produce limited batches in the future
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Red Panda Nursery