Ontario Ferns website

Walking Fern
Asplenium rhizophyllum

Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum) Other scientific names: Camptosorus rhizophyllus

French names: Doradille ambulante

Family: Spleenwort Family (Aspleniaceae)

Distinctive features: Leaves with a very long pointed end; grows on top of limestone boulders in moss. This is a very unique fern, unlike any other.

Similar species:
  •   Hart's Tongue Fern (Asplenium scolopendrium) - But there's really nothing else like Walking Fern.


Fronds: Evergreen, Undivided;  Long and narrowing to a long slender point. New ferns grow from the tips of the leaves where they touch the ground.

Height: Low, spreading.

Habitat: Forests;  On top moss-covered limestone boulders.

Native/Non-native: Native

Status: Rare.

Notes: If you discover this fern in the wild, please leave it alone. It's quite rare.

Photographs: 186 photographs available, of which 18 are featured on this page. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.

Range Map is at the bottom of the page

Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum)

Two Walking Fern leaves.They are long, tapering to a very long and narrow point.

Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum)

Walking Fern leaves are evergreen, lasting through the winter.

Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum)

Peeking out from under the snow in late December.

Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum)

Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum)

A few younger leaves.

Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum)

More young ones.

Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum)

Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum)

A group of Walking Ferns can look somewhat "messy" and straggly.

Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum)

The underside of a leaf, showing the lines of sori.

Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum)

A closeup of a leaf. Walking Ferns can be difficult to photograph, due to their small size, and also that they like to grow in deep woods.

Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum)

Here's a few photos of herbarium specimens. This photo and the next show the length of the leaves.

(Royal Botanical Gardens Herbarium,Burlington,Ontario).

Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum)

Due to the rarity of this species, I have not pulled any up myself to photograph the roots!

(Royal Botanical Gardens Herbarium,Burlington,Ontario).

Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum)

The roots.

(Royal Botanical Gardens Herbarium,Burlington,Ontario).

Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum)

Sori on the underside of a leaf.p> (Royal Botanical Gardens Herbarium,Burlington,Ontario).

Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum)

Back to the live ones... Here's the tip of a frond.

Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum)

Closeup view of the tip. When this tip touches the group (actually the surface of the moss-covered rock upon which it is growing), it will grow into another plant.

Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum)

Underside of a frond.

Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum)

A nice clump of Walking Fern. They grow in clumps because of their tendency to grow new plants from the tips of the fronds.


Range map for Walking Fern (Asplenium rhizophyllum)

PLEASE NOTE: A coloured Province or State means this species occurs somewhere in that Province/State.
The entire Province/State is coloured, regardless of where in that Province/State it occurs.

(Range map provided courtesy of the USDA website and is displayed here in accordance with their Policies)