Illustration of maidenhair fern
maidenhair fern
noun
maid·en·hair fern
ˈmā-dᵊn-ˌher- 
variants
or less commonly maidenhair
plural maidenhair ferns also maidenhairs
: any of a genus (Adiantum) of ferns with delicate palmately branched fronds
Examples of maidenhair fern in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Begonia, boxwood, coleus, coral bells, hosta hydrangea, fuchsia, hellebore, impatiens, lungwort, maidenhair fern (varies according to genus and species), and wishbone flower will grow well in containers.
—
Clarence Schmidt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025
This fern is deciduous to semi-evergreen, in the manner of certain other maidenhair fern species.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 1 Apr. 2025
California native of the week: Western five-fingered maidenhair fern (Adiantum aleuticum) is a cousin of classic maidenhair ferns of the multitudinous tiny leaflets studded along the stem.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 1 Apr. 2025
Water captured from the roof dribbles down its face, from which maidenhair ferns and philodendrons sprout.
—Erica Gies, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2018
But be aware that maidenhair ferns do require a bit more TLC than low-maintenance plants such as pothos or snake plant.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Country Living, 17 Aug. 2023
Jarrod tells us that even notoriously difficult maidenhair ferns have strong and resilient root structures that help the plants survive brief periods of drought.
—Sunset Magazine, 25 July 2023
But in damp shade, there are other options, including Aleutian maidenhair fern.
—Elizabeth Waddington, Treehugger, 17 Feb. 2023
Jianbin Yan, a plant physiologist at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences’s Agricultural Genomics Institute, and colleagues found similar parallels in a maidenhair fern, Adiantum capillus-veneris.
—Byelizabeth Pennisi, science.org, 22 Sep. 2022
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Clarence Schmidt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025
This fern is deciduous to semi-evergreen, in the manner of certain other maidenhair fern species.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 1 Apr. 2025
California native of the week: Western five-fingered maidenhair fern (Adiantum aleuticum) is a cousin of classic maidenhair ferns of the multitudinous tiny leaflets studded along the stem.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 1 Apr. 2025
Water captured from the roof dribbles down its face, from which maidenhair ferns and philodendrons sprout.
—Erica Gies, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2018
But be aware that maidenhair ferns do require a bit more TLC than low-maintenance plants such as pothos or snake plant.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Country Living, 17 Aug. 2023
Jarrod tells us that even notoriously difficult maidenhair ferns have strong and resilient root structures that help the plants survive brief periods of drought.
—Sunset Magazine, 25 July 2023
But in damp shade, there are other options, including Aleutian maidenhair fern.
—Elizabeth Waddington, Treehugger, 17 Feb. 2023
Jianbin Yan, a plant physiologist at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences’s Agricultural Genomics Institute, and colleagues found similar parallels in a maidenhair fern, Adiantum capillus-veneris.
—Byelizabeth Pennisi, science.org, 22 Sep. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Maidenhair fern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maidenhair%20fern. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
maidenhair fern
noun
maid·en·hair fern
ˈmād-ᵊn-ˌha(ə)r-
-ˌhe(ə)r-
: any of a genus of ferns with slender stems and delicate much-divided often feathery leaves
called also maidenhair
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