Asplenium platyneuron — Ebony Spleenwort | Native Tennessee Evergreen Fern, Live Plant
Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron) is a small, tough evergreen fern grown from wild-type Middle Tennessee stock — native statewide and one of the most adaptable ferns in the Southeast. Unlike most ferns, which demand consistent moisture, this species is genuinely drought-tolerant once established and thrives in exactly the spots most ferns can't: dry rocky banks, clay slopes, crevices, and open woodland edges.
The plant's structure is part of its appeal — dimorphic fronds set it apart from nearly every other fern in cultivation. Shorter, arching sterile fronds lie low and stay evergreen year-round, while taller, upright fertile fronds emerge dark green each spring and release spores through summer before dying back in winter. Both frond types share the glossy, reddish-black stipe that gives the plant its common name.
Ebony Spleenwort forms low evergreen groundcover and habitat cover in dry shade gardens, rock gardens, and woodland plantings — useful anywhere you need year-round structure without supplemental watering once established.
Growing conditions:
- Light: Part sun to full shade; tolerates heavy shade
- Water: Medium to dry — notably drought-tolerant for a fern
- Soil: Rocky, gritty, well-drained; adaptable to slightly acidic or slightly alkaline pH
- Foliage: Evergreen sterile fronds, deciduous fertile fronds
Size: Shipped in a 4" container, established root system ready to transplant.
Shipping: Orders ship out UPS every Monday.