Syn: Scott’s Spleenwort Fern, Asplenosorus x ebenoides

This curious cross of A. platyneuron with A. rhizophyllum is less tasty to voracious slugs than its second parent.  Although normallly a sterile hybrid, a fertile population was discovered in the Southern U.S. by Julia Strudwick Tutwiler (1841-1916), earning it the hybrid species designation of x tutwilerae, though it has since been often described and sold as x ebenoides. The highly variable fronds are cut in bizarre patterns of assorted shaped and sized lobes with the apex sometimes trailing to the ground and rooting.  Its long, narrow fronds with elongated tips conjure up a certain chaotic whimsicality, much like having a patch of green spiky dragon tails in the garden.

Frond Condition: Evergreen

Mature Size: 4-12”

Origin:  Southern and Eastern United States

Cultural Requirements: Part Shade, Full Shade, Lightly Moist to Evenly Moist

USDA Zones: 5, 6, 7, 8