Devon Wildlife Trust The hart's-tongue fern is a medium-sized fern that can be found growing in damp, shady gorges and banks in woodlands, as well as on rocks, walls and mossy branches. It is a hardy plant and is ideal for gardens - plant it in shade under trees, or on walls or gravelly areas for attractive cover all year-round.
How to identify
The hart's-tongue fern is a very simple fern: the frond is a single, glossy, green blade, with orange spores underneath.
https://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/wildlife-explorer/ferns-and-horsetails/harts-tongue-fern
Devonshire Association The Botany Section was founded in 1908 to promote the study and enjoyment of Devon’s wild plants, including bryophytes (mosses), lichens and fungi.
https://devonassoc.org.uk/organisation/sections/botany-section/
Hart's Tongue Fern in Ladywell Lane, Chulmleigh (Photo: Grant Sherman)
Woodland Trust Hart's tongue fern is widespread in the UK, except in the far North. It's often featured on ancient-woodland-indicator plant lists as a species which can help identify old woodlands and ecological continuity. It is usually found in more base-rich soils, typically in ashwoods, and avoids the most acidic substrates.
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants/ferns/harts-tongue-fern/
Plantlife This evergreen plant has long, tongue shaped leaves with a pointy end.
The underside of the leaves have little marks reminiscent of centipedes legs, leading to the species name 'scolopendrium' (the Latin for centipede!)
https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/discover-wild-plants-nature/plant-fungi-species/harts-tongue-fern
Royal Horticultural Society Grows well in humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. Bright mid-day sun can cause damage. May be sensitive to fungicides. Tolerant of dry shade but water regularly during the first season and mulch well
https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/25910/i-Asplenium-scolopendrium-i/Details
Wikipedia Asplenium scolopendrium, known as hart's-tongue or hart's-tongue fern (syn. Phyllitis scolopendrium) is an evergreen fern in the genus Asplenium, of the Northern Hemisphere.
The plants are unusual in being ferns with simple, undivided fronds. The tongue-shaped leaves have given rise to the common name "Hart's tongue fern"; a hart being an adult male red deer. The sori pattern is reminiscent of a centipede's legs, and scolopendrium is Latin for "centipede". The leaves are 10–60 cm long and 3–6 cm broad, with sori arranged in rows perpendicular to the rachis.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asplenium_scolopendrium
