Asplenium petrarchae

Petrarch's spleenwort

A tiny, glandular-hairy spleenwort of the western and central Mediterranean, with fronds only 5–14 cm long, that lives in crevices of limestone cliffs and old stone walls. It takes sun for part of the day, dries out and goes dormant in the hot summer, and grows again when the autumn rains return. Grow it as a crevice plant in lime-rich grit, with bright light, good airflow and a dry summer rest.

Asplenium petrarchae — Photo: Juan Bibiloni, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows on rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

Crevices and ledges of limestone rock faces, gorges and dry-stone terrace walls in the Mediterranean zone, often on sheltered or partly shaded faces that get a few hours of sun. Roots reach moisture seeping through the rock rather than relying on rain falling on the fronds.

Mostly lowland to about 1000 m; GBIF records with elevations run from about 10 m to about 1070 m, with a median near 200 m.

SpainBalearic IslandsPortugalFranceCorsicaSardiniaItalySicilyCroatiaAlbaniaGreeceMoroccoAlgeriaTunisia

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

Grow Asplenium petrarchae? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

Start free Sign in

More Asplenium

Asplenium platyneuron Asplenium bradleyi Asplenium pinnatifidum Asplenium resiliens Asplenium rhizophyllum Asplenium montanum Asplenium scolopendrium Asplenium tutwilerae Asplenium ceterach Asplenium monanthes Asplenium nidus Asplenium septentrionale All 1023 →

Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY 3.0 licence, unmodified.