Adiantum latifolium

Broadleaf Maidenhair Fern, Broad-leaved Maidenhair

Adiantum latifolium is one of the larger maidenhair ferns, with bipinnate fronds reaching up to 75 cm long and broad, parallelogram-shaped pinnules that set it apart from the small fan-leaved maidenhairs commonly seen in garden centres. Native to lowland rainforests from Mexico to Argentina, it grows in permanently humid, shaded conditions — which is exactly why it does so well in a closed terrarium, where humidity stays consistently high. New fronds emerge with a pinkish tinge before maturing to dark green, all carried on the characteristic black, polished stipes that identify the maidenhair genus. The long-creeping rhizome spreads slowly across the substrate and benefits from a deep organic-rich growing medium.