Skip to main content

Shasta maidenhair fern

Adiantum shastense

Last reviewed: November 2026

Shasta maidenhair fern (Adiantum shastense) is a perennial fern native to CA.

Watering reminders and freeze alerts for Shasta maidenhair fern, free in the app.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play
Shasta maidenhair fern (Adiantum shastense)
Photo: (c) Ed Alverson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ed Alverson

Toxicity unknown

Shasta maidenhair fern (Adiantum shastense) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.

Light

part shade

Water

medium

Size

6"–14" H × 8"–14" W

Bloom

N/A

Native to

CA

Before you buy

Your city may pay you to plant this

Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 461 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.

Find rebates in your area

Picture natives in your own yard

Upload a photo of your yard and Patch Vision shows a rendering of it planted with natives for your region, like Shasta maidenhair fern.

Try it with your yard

Browse plants for this ecoregion

Central California Foothills and Coastal MountainsNorthwestern Forested Mountains

Small, delicate fern with dark wiry stems and finely divided, fan-shaped fronds, growing in cracks and crevices on moist rocky serpentine outcrops and canyon walls.

Growing Shasta maidenhair fern

Grow Shasta maidenhair fern in part shade and medium water. Mature plants reach 6 to 14 inches tall and spread 8 to 14 inches wide.

Get an email before your first frost

We'll email you a week before frost can first reach your ZIP. You also get a printable fall checklist with your dates right away.

You'll also get our weekly yard notes. Unsubscribe anytime.

Wildlife value

Provides ground-level shelter for small invertebrates in shaded rocky habitats. Not a floral resource since ferns do not produce flowers.

Common questions

How much sun does Shasta maidenhair fern need?
Shasta maidenhair fern grows best in part shade conditions.
Where is Shasta maidenhair fern native?
Shasta maidenhair fern (Adiantum shastense) is native to CA, per the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew).

Native range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew). Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.

If something looks wrong

Common plant problems, and what to check first

These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.

See all plant problem guides

Ready to grow Shasta maidenhair fern? Add it to your garden in the Pollinator Patch App to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.

Add this plant to your garden
iPhone appAndroid app