Walking Fern
Asplenium rhizophyllum
Last reviewed: August 2026
Walking fern is a small evergreen fern that roots into new plants where its narrow frond tips touch soil or moss, often on shaded limestone rock faces in cool, humid woodlands.
Toxicity unknown
Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum) 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"–12" H × 6"–12" W
Bloom
N/A
Native to
AL, AR, CT, DE and 28 more states
Before you buy
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Walking fern is a unique evergreen fern that creates new plants where its long, narrow fronds touch the ground. This compact native forms small clumps and works well as groundcover in shaded rock gardens or naturalized areas.
Growing Walking Fern
Grow Walking Fern in part shade and medium water. Mature plants reach 6 to 12 inches tall and spread 6 to 12 inches wide. Expect low maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.
In an HOA neighborhood
Walking Fern is an HOA-friendly choice in the right placement. Maintenance level: low. Tidiness: 3 out of 5.
Works well in: foundation, mid zone.
- Unusual appearance may look unfamiliar to some
- Natural spreading habit could appear uncontrolled
Wildlife value
Provides shelter and habitat for small woodland creatures and insects. The evergreen fronds offer year-round cover in shaded garden areas.
Common questions
- When does walking fern bloom?
- Walking fern does not flower or bloom. Like other ferns it reproduces by spores, and it also spreads clonally when the tips of its fronds touch soil and root into new plants.
- What light and water does walking fern need?
- It grows best in part shade to shade with medium, consistent moisture, and is often found rooted in mossy pockets on damp limestone or sandstone outcrops.
- Do pollinators visit walking fern?
- No. As a non-flowering fern it has no pollinator relationships; it disperses by spores and by rooting at its frond tips rather than through insect pollination.
- Is Walking Fern HOA-friendly?
- Walking Fern is generally an HOA-friendly choice in the right placement, with low maintenance.
These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.
Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. 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.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Walking Fern? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.
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