The Northern Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum) is a found in moist, acidic woodlands of the eastern North America. It thrives in the full-shade of the forest floor. It spreads slowly by branching rhizomes, forming large colonies.
Pink-purple fiddleheads give way to wiry, dark purple stems covered with delicate, light green leaflets.
Its genus name, Adiantum, comes from the Greek word meaning "unwetted", describing the fern's ability to repel water. Its species name, pedatum, means "cut like a bird's foot", describing the branching pattern of the leaves.
