Hart's-tongue Fern · Asplenium scolopendrium

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. MPF assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY 2.5 ↗

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FernsWild and cultivated

Asplenium scolopendrium

Hart's-tongue Fern

Instead of feathery divisions, this fern has whole glossy green blades, often tucked beside shady damp walls.

See all four seasons Explore fruits, seeds & edibility ↓ Where to look & how to find it ↓

Some plants are poisonous. Do not identify by a photograph alone, and never taste them.

FIELDCRAFT · FIND WITH CARE

Finding guide

Habitat first

Choose the season, find the habitat, then watch patiently. Search guidance is not a measure of rarity or conservation status.

When to go: Visible year-round; fresh growth in late spring and early summer.
Where to start: Irish stone walls, wooded paths and shaded gardens. Do not break fronds or disturb masonry.
What to do when you arrive: At shady damp walls or woodland paths, look for undivided strap-like fronds and any naturally visible linear sori beneath. Do not bend fronds or dismantle walls.

Habitat and behaviour reference: Wildflowers of Ireland ↗ · The practical steps are editorial advice based on the references, not live sightings.

ONE PLANT · FOUR SEASONS

One plant. Four seasons.

Look beyond the flowers: fresh leaves, fruits, bare stems and dormancy.

Meteorological seasons: spring March–May, summer June–August, autumn September–November and winter December–February. Irish weather, cultivar, pruning and plant age affect timing and appearance.

Photos illustrate the relevant feature, not the same plant photographed through a year in Ireland. Features shared across seasons, such as evergreen leaves, may use the same reference. Missing reliable photos are marked; dormancy is not death.

Spring

Mar–May

Fronds

Older fronds may be battered as curled new fronds begin to unfurl.

Summer

Jun–Aug

Fronds

Fresh bright green blades expand; mature undersides carry linear sori.

Autumn

Sep–Nov

Fronds

Strap-like fronds remain, some with brown spore structures beneath.

Winter

Dec–Feb

Evergreen foliage

Usually retains green fronds, sometimes battered by weather; it does not produce winter flowers.

Seasonal references: Wildflowers of Ireland ↗ · Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.

FRUIT · SEED · FOOD SAFETY

Fruits, seeds & edibility

Know the structure, then the part. Recognising a plant does not make it food.

Fruit: not applicable

Ferns do not produce fruits

It reproduces by spores, not the fruit-and-seed structures of flowering plants.

No fruits: hart's-tongue is a fern, not a flowering plant.

Food use of this part: Not applicable: this species does not produce this structure

Spores, not seeds

Hart's-tongue Fern · Linear sori on the frond underside, not magnified individual spores. — Linear sori on the frond underside, not magnified individual spores.
Rosser1954 · CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗ License terms

No seeds: linear sori on the frond underside release microscopic spores, which are not seeds.

Food use of this part: Not applicable: this species does not produce this structure

Some seed references show intact one-seeded fruits or dispersal units, as identified in their captions. A whole-fruit photo is not a close-up of the enclosed seed. Cones and arils are not true fruits of flowering plants.

Sources & limitations

Wildflowers of Ireland ↗ · Botanical description, not proof of food safety

No field detoxification methods or safe doses are provided. Never taste a plant to identify it or eat treated or contaminated specimens. Seek professional help after suspected accidental ingestion. National Poisons Information Centre, Ireland ↗

Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.

BOTANICAL NOTESPlant notes

How to identify it

Undivided strap-like fronds have heart-shaped bases and slightly wavy edges. Mature undersides carry rows of long, angled sori.

Where it grows

Ditches, limestone walls, hedges and damp woods; also cultivated in shade gardens.

Growth and ecology

An evergreen fern reproducing by spores, not flowers. Old fronds may remain as new ones unfold.

Flowering and seasons

Visible year-round; fresh growth in late spring and early summer.

Where to look

Irish stone walls, wooded paths and shaded gardens. Do not break fronds or disturb masonry.

Seasons vary with weather and location. Suggested habitats are places to look, not guaranteed sightings. Photos show only some features; check leaves, flowers, fruits and specialist references together.

Further reading:Wildflowers of Ireland ↗

Photo license: No machine-readable author provided. MPF assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY 2.5 ↗ · License terms ↗
Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.

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