Asplenium x ebenoides

Asplenium ebenoides is an astonishing small evergreen fern resulting from cross-breeding between Asplenium platyneuron and Camptosorus rhizophyllus, known by the evocative name of Dragon's Tail Fern. This captivating chimera combines the characteristics of its two parents on its fronds and does not resemble any other plant. This Asplenium forms slightly anarchic tufts of vibrant lettuce-green and sometimes spreads in small colonies, bringing life to the darker areas of the garden even in winter. Perfect for slightly damp limestone rockeries, it is also a very trendy plant for the veranda or terrariums.

Asplenium ebenoides is a perennial fern belonging to the Asplenium family. Its two parents are native to eastern North America. Anchored by a short rhizome covered with brown-red scales, this Asplenium will form a tuft that is approximately 30 cm (12 in) tall and wide, which persists through winter. The foliage consists of long triangular fronds, pinnate at the base like Asplenium platyneuron, while at the tip of each frond, the terminal pinna is entire and pointed like Camptosorus rhizophyllus. The divisions, or pinnae, of the middle part of the frond are irregularly cut, either lobed or symmetrically cut, i.e. pinnatifid. The rachis, the large central vein of the frond, is shiny, reddish-brown or violet at the base. The fronds of this fern spread out and then stand upright. Those that are fertile and will bear the reproductive cells rise slightly above the sterile fronds. Each frond measures 2 to 20 cm (0.8 to 8 in) long and 1 to 6 cm (0.4 to 2.4 in) wide. Like its parent, Camptosorus rhizophyllus, this fern has the ability to root at the tip of the frond if it comes into contact with a moist substrate, giving rise to a daughter plant. The reproductive cells (sori) are arranged on the lower surface of the fertile fronds. The first hybrid found in the USA was sterile, but the discovery in the state of Georgia of a tetraploid plant, possessing a double set of chromosomes and producing viable spores, allowed the multiplication of this astonishing asplenium, to the delight of collectors.

Asplenium ebenoides is an ideal small evergreen fern to enhance a fresh rockery or shaded borders under the cover of trees, always in a well-drained soil. It easily settles in a few centimetres (about an inch) of compost, clinging between the stones of a rocky scree bordering a small waterfall, for example. When grown in a pot, its unusual charm will be appreciated on the veranda or in an unheated room. To accompany it, consider, for example, Ivy-leaved Toadflax (Cymbalaria muralis), the liverworts, or Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum').