Temperature
60–75°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
Maidenhair fern
Adiantum raddianum
Maidenhair fern wants medium light and water every 2 to 5 days, once the surface is barely damp. Non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Light
Medium
LowMediumBright indirectDirect
A north window, or four feet back from an east one. An hour of direct sun crisps the fronds beyond recovery.
Water
Every 2–5 days
Baseline for a 6-inch pot indoors. Check first: water when the surface is barely damp, not on a schedule.
Humidity
60% and up
Wants 80%. Struggles in dry winter air.
Difficulty
Difficult
Scores 5 of 5: Scores 5 of 5: it dies from a single dry afternoon and browns below about 60% humidity. Realistically a terrarium or bathroom plant, not a shelf plant.
Habit
Spreading
Grows to 8–18 inches. No support needed.
Non-toxic to cats and dogs
Eating a large amount of any plant can still cause mild stomach upset.
Detail for cats → Detail for dogs →
What each authority says
- ASPCA
- No record page found under any name tested.
- NC State Extension
- Entry exists and records no poison data.
DISPLAY — in-content responsive
Light
Medium light. A north window, or four feet back from an east one. An hour of direct sun crisps the fronds beyond recovery.
Water
Every 2 to 5 days in a 6-inch pot, when the surface is barely damp.
Treat the interval as a starting point and the test as the actual instruction. Pot size, light level and season all move the number.
| Method | keep evenly moist |
|---|---|
| Test before watering | the surface is barely damp |
Soil and potting
Three parts peat-free potting soil, one part perlite.
Repot roughly every 1.5 years, or when roots come through the drainage holes and water runs straight through without absorbing.
Common problems
Ranked by how often each turns out to be the cause for this species. The individual diagnosis pages are not built yet.
- Brown crispy edges page not written yet
- Frond drop page not written yet
- Drooping page not written yet
Pest and disease guidance for this species consulted at the Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, checked 2026-09-11.
Propagation
Division in soil. Roots in 28 to 56 days.
| Preferred method | division |
|---|---|
| Medium | soil |
| Time to root | 28–56 days |
| Node required | No |
| Best season | Spring and summer |
Sources
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Adiantum raddianum (consulted; entry exists and records no poison data.) Checked 2026-09-11.
- Wikidata entity Q2797160 — taxonomy and entity identity.
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online — Adiantum raddianum Accepted name; family Pteridaceae. Checked 2026-09-11.
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder — Adiantum raddianum Pest and disease guidance. Checked 2026-09-11.
- Photograph: Forest & Kim Starr, Wikimedia Commons , CC BY 3.0.
Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-02
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a horticulturist
or a veterinarian. Every fact above is drawn from the sources listed, and
toxicity severity is reported only where one of them stated it.
How this is sourced.
Last updated 2026-09-02