# wall-rue (*Asplenium ruta-muraria*)

Wall-rue is a special little fern that loves to grow on walls and rocks. Its bright green leaves are shaped like tiny feathers, making it look very pretty in nature.

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

![wall-rue](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/231642158/medium.jpeg)

Photo: Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/231642158)

## Appearance

The wall-rue is a small, hardy fern with delicate, triangular fronds composed of wedge-shaped leaflets. Its glossy, dark green leaves often form neat rosettes, tightly clinging to stone surfaces.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- It's an 'epilithic' plant, meaning it absolutely loves growing on rocks and stone surfaces!
- Its scientific name, Asplenium, means 'without spleen' – ancient healers thought it cured spleen ailments!
- This tiny fern can actually live for many decades, stubbornly clinging to its rocky home!
- Wall-rue doesn't use seeds! It reproduces with microscopic spores, like a secret agent's tiny dust bombs.

## Special abilities

- **Stone Hugger:** wall-rue can grow its roots deep into tiny rock crevices, which helps it cling tightly to walls and survive in harsh, exposed spots.
- **Drought Master:** wall-rue has fronds that can curl up and dry out completely, helping it survive long periods without water by waiting for rain.
- **High Flyer:** wall-rue releases tiny, dust-like spores that float on the wind, helping it travel far and colonize new, inaccessible rocky habitats.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 5-15 cm
- **Spread:** 5-15 cm
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [Black slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — Common slug that grazes on its fronds
- **Eaten by:** [Garden snail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-snail) (*Cornu aspersum*) — Garden snail feeds on its tender leaves
- **Depends on:** Blackbird (*Turdus merula*) — Hunts snails that graze its fronds

## Traits

- [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
- [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.
- [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability.
- [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.

## 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 wall-rue?

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 wall-rue?

5-15 cm

### How wide does wall-rue spread?

5-15 cm

### Is wall-rue edible?

No

### Is wall-rue toxic?

None

### What is wall-rue's lifecycle?

Perennial

### Where is wall-rue usually found?

Urban areas

## 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: [Wall-rue: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/wall-rue)