Shining Spleenwort

Botanical name: Asplenium lamprophyllum
Common name(s): Shining Spleenwort

Plant facts:
A striking creeping native fern endemic to northern New Zealand, admired for its glossy bright green fronds and spreading carpet-forming habit. This species is notable for its stoloniferous growth and the distinctive wintergreen scent released when the fronds are crushed.

Natural habitat:
Occurs naturally in shaded alluvial forest, swamp forest margins, clay banks, basalt and limestone outcrops, and damp rocky forest floors.

Growing environment:
Shade to partial shade, Moist free-draining soils, Humid & Sheltered.
Thrives in rich organic soils with consistent moisture and protection from direct sun and drying winds.

Endemic distribution:
Endemic to New Zealand.
Found in the North Island from Te Paki south to Whanganui and northern Hawke’s Bay, though most common north of Mokau and Gisborne.

Height:
Approximately 0.15–0.6 m tall

Width:
Spreading colonies may extend well beyond 1 m through creeping rhizomes and stolons

Uses:

• Native fern gardens
• Woodland groundcover
• Shaded rockeries
• Forest restoration planting
• Indoor conservatory displays
• Moist subtropical landscaping

Appearance:

Growth habit:
A creeping stoloniferous fern forming spreading colonies and dense carpets through horizontal rhizomes and offset plantlets.

Fronds:
Fronds are glossy light green, soft textured, and finely divided, ranging from bipinnate to more deeply dissected forms.

Stems and rhizomes:
Rhizomes creep along the ground producing slender runners and new plantlets. Stipes are deeply grooved and covered in dark triangular scales.

Leaflets:
Pinnae are narrow and pointed, with smaller pinnules often deeply serrated and slightly glossy above.

Sori:
Long narrow sori develop beneath the fronds nearer the midrib than the margins, with orange-brown sporangia.

Ecology:
A characteristic fern of humid northern forests where it forms extensive groundcover on damp soils, shaded banks, and rocky substrates.

Associated wildlife:
Provides shelter and moisture retention for forest invertebrates and contributes to dense fern understory ecosystems.

How to grow:
Best grown in shaded or semi-shaded sites with deep fertile free-draining soil rich in organic matter. Requires reliable moisture and high humidity for best growth.

Propagation:
Easy from division, creeping rhizomes, stolons, or spores, though relatively slow growing initially.

Garden value:
A beautiful and unusual native fern valued for its glossy foliage, spreading habit, and lush subtropical appearance. Excellent for shaded woodland gardens, ferneries, and moist landscape planting.