Northern Maidenhair Fern

The Northern Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum) enjoying the little bit of rain that has fallen the past two days. Thank goodness for a little bit, rather than no rain. We need every bit, even a little bit.

This picture captures a quality of Maidenhair Fern, hydrophobicity, or water repellency. This plant’s genus name “Adiantum”, comes from the Greek word adiantos, which means “unwetted”. See those water droplets? That is a result of hydrophobicity. Rather than soaking into the leafy part of the fern, those drops of water will drop off.

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Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.