# Hart's-tongue fern (*Asplenium scolopendrium*)

The Hart's-tongue fern is a unique plant with long, wavy leaves that look like tongues! It loves to grow in shady places, making it a special find in the forest.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Forests

![Hart's-tongue fern](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Asplenium_scolopendrium.jpg&width=800)

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. MPF assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asplenium_scolopendrium.jpg)

## Appearance

The Hart's-tongue fern has long, bright green, strap-like leaves that are glossy and undivided, unlike most other ferns. Its distinctive fronds, often wavy at the edges, emerge from a central rosette, forming a lush, upright clump.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Polypodiopsida
- **Order:** Polypodiales
- **Family:** Aspleniaceae
- **Genus:** Asplenium

## Interesting facts

- Hart's-tongue ferns are ancient plants, dating back over 300 million years!
- Its spores grow in parallel lines on the frond's underside, resembling fuzzy caterpillars!
- Some varieties can develop frilly, crested tips, making them look even fancier!
- This fern's unique leaves look like a green tongue, making it easy to identify!

## Special abilities

- **Spore Shooter:** Hart's-tongue fern can reproduce using tiny spores, like microscopic dust, instead of seeds, helping it spread widely.
- **Limestone Lover:** Hart's-tongue fern has adapted to thrive in alkaline soils, often growing on limestone rocks and old mortar, helping it find unique niches.
- **Evergreen Endurance:** Hart's-tongue fern has tough, evergreen fronds that stay green all winter, helping it absorb sunlight year-round.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 15-60 cm
- **Spread:** 20-75 cm
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** grey field slug (*Deroceras reticulatum*) — slugs may graze on fern fronds
- **Eaten by:** [black slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — slugs consume parts of the fronds

## Traits

- [Nonvascular](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nonvascular): This trait characterizes plants lacking specialized vascular tissues (xylem and phloem) for transporting water and nutrients.
- [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
- [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.
- [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
- [Spore Producing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spore-producing): Spore-producing organisms reproduce by releasing small, often single-celled, reproductive units called spores.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind.
- [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch plants unless you know they are safe.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Hart's-tongue fern?

Compare frond shape, how the leaflets are arranged, the stalk, and any spore clusters you can see. A single detached leaflet often hides the plant's overall growth pattern. Fern Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Hart's-tongue fern?

15-60 cm

### How wide does Hart's-tongue fern spread?

20-75 cm

### Is Hart's-tongue fern edible?

No

### Is Hart's-tongue fern toxic?

None

### What is Hart's-tongue fern's lifecycle?

Perennial

### Where is Hart's-tongue fern usually found?

Forests

## Where to spot

- [Naturpark Obere Donau](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/upper-danube-nature-park) — Baden-Württemberg, DE · Park
- [Causses du Quercy Regional Nature Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/causses-du-quercy-regional-nature-park) — Occitanie, FR · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Hart's-tongue fern: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/harts-tongue-fern)