SimplePlant

Pteridaceae

Common maidenhair

Adiantum capillus-veneris L.

Family
Pteridaceae
Genus
Adiantum

Pets and kids

  • CatsNot sure
  • DogsNot sure
  • KidsNot sure
Why

Cats: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Dogs: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Kids: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for young children, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with a doctor or poison control.

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

Common maidenhair: Maidenhair fern ( Adiantum capillus-veneris ) in Anento ( Zaragoza , Spain ).
Photo: Balles2601, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons

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Common names

By language (53)
Afrikaans
Nooienshaarvaring
Albanian
Majdanozi i egër
Arabic
كزبرة البئر, شعر الارض, شعر الخنزير, كزبرة البير, كزبرة الماء, برشاوشان إسفيني الأوراق, برشاوشان أجرد
Armenian
Ադիանտում Վեներայի վարս
arz
كزبرة البئر
Asturian
Golondriyu de fonte
Azerbaijani
Zöhrətüklü adiant
Basque
Garaizka arrunt
Belarusian
Адыянтум венерын волас
Bulgarian
Венерин косъм
Cantonese
鐵線蕨
Catalan
Capil·lera, Falzia, Folguerola
Chinese
南方鐵線蕨, 南方铁线蕨, 猪毛针, 猪鬃草, 鐵線蕨, 铁线蕨
Czech
Netík Venušin vlas, Netík ženský vlas
Dutch
Echt venushaar
English
Common maidenhair, Maidenhair fern, Southern maidenhair, Black maidenhair, Australian maidenhair fern, Common maidenhair fern, Giant maidenhair fern, Plumed maidenhair fern
Estonian
Juusadiantum
Finnish
Neidonadiantumi, Neidonhiussaniainen
French
Capillaire de Montpellier, Capillaire cheveu-de-Vénus, Cheveu-de-venus
Galician
Capilaria
German
Frauenhaarfarn
grc
Πολύτριχον ἀδίαντον
Greek
Αδίαντο
Hawaiian
Iwaiwa, Iwaiwa hawai, Iwaiwa kahakaha, ʻIwaʻiwa, ʻIwaʻiwa hāwai, ʻIwaʻiwa kahakaha
Hebrew
שערות שולמית מצויות
Irish
Dúchosach
Italian
Adianthum Capillus Veneris, Capelvenere
Japanese
ホウライシダ
Kazakh
Шолпаншаш сүмбілі
Korean
봉작고사리
lah
ٹھنڈی بوٹی
Malagasy
Manianio
Maltese
Tursin il-Bir
mzn
سهلینگه واش
Norwegian Bokmål
Venushår
nv
Tséłnííʼjí
Persian
پرسیاوشان
pms
Capiler
Polish
Niekropień właściwy
Portuguese
Aivenca, Avenca, Avenca-das-fontes, Avenca-de-montpellier, Cabelo-de-vénus, Capilária, Capilária-de-montpellier, Lágrima-de-sangue
pwn
Ravutuvutu
Russian
Адиантум венерин волос
Serbian
Венерина влас
Sindhi
پرسياوشان
Slovak
Adiant Venušin
Slovenian
Venerini laski
Spanish
Culantrillo
Swedish
Venushår
Tongan
ʻUluʻitāupoʻou
Turkish
Venüssaçı
Ukrainian
Адіант венерин волос
Uzbek
Boldirqora
Welsh
Briger Gwener

Synonyms

  • Adiantum affine Willd.
  • Adiantum africanum R.Br.
  • Adiantum australe Riddell
  • Adiantum capillaceum Dulac
  • Adiantum capillus Sw.
  • Adiantum capillus-veneris f. cristatum Moxley
  • Adiantum capillus-veneris f. fissum (Christ) Ching
  • Adiantum capillus-veneris f. rimicola (Sloss.) Fernald
  • Adiantum capillus-veneris subsp. trifidum (Willd. ex Bolle) Rivas Mart., Lousã, J.C.Costa & Maria C.Duarte
  • Adiantum capillus-veneris var. capillus-veneris
  • Adiantum capillus-veneris var. daphnites W.Bull
  • Adiantum capillus-veneris var. dissectum (B.K.Nayar) Ching
  • Adiantum capillus-veneris var. dissectum B.K.Nayar
  • Adiantum capillus-veneris var. fissum Christ
  • Adiantum capillus-veneris var. grande Pynaert
  • Adiantum capillus-veneris var. imbricatum Pynaert
  • Adiantum capillus-veneris var. kenyense Chiov.
  • Adiantum capillus-veneris var. laciniatum Christ ex Tardieu & C.Chr.
  • Adiantum capillus-veneris var. magnificum W.Bull
  • Adiantum capillus-veneris var. modestum (Underw.) Fernald
  • Adiantum capillus-veneris var. pinnata Bonap.
  • Adiantum capillus-veneris var. polyhymnia Lowe
  • Adiantum capillus-veneris var. protrusum Fernald
  • Adiantum capillus-veneris var. rimicola (Sloss.) Fernald
  • Adiantum capillus-veneris var. trifidum (Willd. ex Bolle) Milde
  • Adiantum capillus-veneris var. trifidum (Willd. ex Bolle) Christ
  • Adiantum coriandrifolium Lam.
  • Adiantum coriandrifolium Bernh.
  • Adiantum cuneifolium Stokes
  • Adiantum emarginatum Bory ex Willd.
  • Adiantum fontanum Salisb.
  • Adiantum formosum (J.Rémy) Gay
  • Adiantum fumarioides Willd.
  • Adiantum lingii Ching
  • Adiantum maderense Lowe
  • Adiantum marginatum Schrad.
  • Adiantum michelii Christ
  • Adiantum modestum Underw.
  • Adiantum moritzianum Link
  • Adiantum paradiseae Baker

and 10 more.

Flowers

Flower colour
white (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit
Forb/herb
Lifespan
Perennial
In the US and Canada
Canada: native, Hawaii: native, Lower 48 states: native, Puerto Rico: native

Photos

More in Adiantum

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.