maidenhair

[meyd-n-hair]

noun

1. any fern of the genus Adiantum, the cultivated species of which have fine, glossy stalks and delicate, finely divided fronds.

Word History and Origins

Origin of maidenhair¹

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; maiden, hair

Example Sentences

Plant maidenhair spleenwort in a container, where you can appreciate its beauty up close.

Read more on Seattle Times

In 2019, Corteva reported that genes for proteins found in maidenhair ferns could protect soybeans from soybean looper and velvetbean caterpillars, and since then both groups have sharpened their focus on ferns.

Read more on Science Magazine

Q: Can someone help resolve a problem I am having with my maidenhair ferns?

Read more on Seattle Times

Jianbin Yan, a plant physiologist at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences’s Agricultural Genomics Institute, and colleagues found similar parallels in a maidenhair fern, Adiantum capillus-veneris.

Read more on Science Magazine

And then, sure, like I like to take on a fun challenge now and again with a more difficult plant to care for — but I have never been successful keeping a maidenhair fern alive.

Read more on Los Angeles Times