Habitat
The Maidenhair fern has an interesting habitat. It can be found most commonly in humus- rich woods with moist soil. It prefers to be in partially shaded areas and likes to also grow along rocky slopes. It is also commonly found in limestone or lime rich rocks. The soil it thrives best in is a rich sub acid to neutral one. It usually grows to be a foot tall, but can grow up to 2 1/2- 3 feet in certain cases.
Other plants that share the same habitat as the Maidenhair Fern
include many different kinds of berries, ginger plants,
azaleas,
rhododendrons, violets, trilliums, cardinal
flower, hepatica, bloodroot, and many others! Here is an example
of a flower that grows where the Maidenhair does,
Trillium, and it is a website created by one of my
classmates!
Different types of ferns besides the Maidenhair also thrive in the same areas. The main thing you might notice that makes a forest are trees. Some trees include dogwood, redbud, shadbush, silver birch, oak, and many more! Click here to find out more about one of the types of trees that live in the same habitat as the Maidenhair fern.
One organism that also has a home in woodland environments is poison ivy, which in some cases could be growing nearby Adiantum pedatum. To learn more about poison ivy visit this website. Wandering through a woodland forest you may come upon fungi as well. Mushrooms are everywhere if you know what you are looking for. But watch out! There are edible AND poisonous ones out there. To learn more about different types of fungi go to www.tomvolkfungi.net. Click here also for a web page from one of my classmates about an interesting fungi!
Woodlands are a great
place for biodiversity of not only plants, but animals too. The
list for animals, like plants, is very diverse as well. One can
find mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects, and many
other species in a woodland forest. One organism you might hear
while looking for maidenhair is actually a frog, the spring
peeper.
Click here to learn more about this interesting creature!
Below is a map of the distribution of Adiantum pedatum in the United States Below is a map of the distribution in different counties throughout WI.
