Lyall’s Spleenwort

Botanical name: Asplenium lyallii
Synonyms: Asplenium anomodum, Asplenium triste
Common name(s): Lyall’s Spleenwort

Plant facts:
A hardy native fern endemic to New Zealand, valued for its leathery divided fronds and ability to thrive on limestone, marble, and other base-rich rocky habitats. This species is especially associated with cave entrances, cliffs, and shaded rock faces from coastal to alpine environments.

Natural habitat:
Occurs naturally on limestone, marble, basalt, and other base-rich rocky substrates within forest, scrub, cliffs, cave entrances, and exposed rocky slopes.

Growing environment:
Shade to partial shade, Free-draining soils, Base-rich rocky substrates & Cool humid conditions.
Performs best in sheltered sites with consistent moisture and excellent drainage.

Endemic distribution:
Endemic to New Zealand.
Found from Port Waikato south through the North Island, throughout much of the South Island, Stewart Island/Rakiura, and the Chatham Islands.

Height:
Approximately 0.04–0.4 m tall

Width:
Forms clumps approximately 0.2–0.5 m across

Uses:

• Shaded rock gardens
• Limestone and alpine plantings
• Fern collections
• Native forest gardens
• Cave and grotto plantings
• Container cultivation

Appearance:

Growth habit:
A tufted evergreen fern with ascending rhizomes and upright clustered fronds.

Fronds:
Fronds range from narrowly lanceolate to broader divided forms, dark green to grey-green, often leathery and slightly glossy.

Leaflets:
Pinnae are variable in shape, from narrow and shallowly toothed to more divided forms with distinct stalked pinnules.

Rhizome and stems:
Rhizomes are stout and covered in brown scales. Stipes are firm, upright, and green with brown bases.

Sori:
Long narrow sori develop well within the frond margins and may become crowded across fertile fronds.

Ecology:
A specialist fern of calcareous and base-rich habitats, often growing on exposed rocky substrates where few other ferns persist.

Associated habitats:
Frequently associated with limestone outcrops, marble bluffs, cave entrances, rocky forest margins, and alpine rock faces.

How to grow:
Best grown in cool semi-shaded conditions with excellent drainage. Particularly suited to limestone rock walls, trough gardens, shaded alpine gardens, or containers.

Propagation:
Propagated from spores or division of established clumps. Slow growing but long lived once established.

Garden value:
An attractive and highly distinctive native fern ideal for shaded rockeries and specialist fern collections. Its rugged leathery foliage and tolerance of rocky alkaline conditions make it especially useful for limestone and alpine-style plantings.