Forked Spleenwort
Asplenium septentrionale
Asplenium septentrionale is a species of fern known by the common names northern spleenwort and forked spleenwort. It is native to Europe, Asia and western North America, where it grows on rocks.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asplenium_septentrionale
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Polypodiopsida
Order
Polypodiales
Family
Aspleniaceae
Genus
Asplenium
Forked Spleenwort belongs to the family Aspleniaceae, order Polypodiales, within the Polypodiopsida class.
Species Profile
Asplenium septentrionale is a species of fern known by the common names northern spleenwort and forked spleenwort. It is native to Europe, Asia and western North America, where it grows on rocks. Its long, slender leaves give it a distinctive appearance. Three subspecies exist, corresponding to a tetraploid and a diploid cytotype and their triploid hybrid.
Forked Spleenwort faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss from quarrying and rock extraction activities that destroy its specialized rocky cliff and crevice habitats. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the cool, moist microclimate conditions this arctic-alpine species requires for survival.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Asplenium septentrionale subsp. septentrionale is found in Europe and Asia from the Macaronesian Islands east through Europe, western Asia, the former USSR, northern India, parts of western and central China (Xinjiang, Tibet, and Shaanxi), and Taiwan. It is also found in North America, principally in the Rocky Mountains of the western United States, but also in the Black Hills of South...
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Forked Spleenwort faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss from quarrying and rock extraction activities that destroy its specialized rocky cliff and crevice habitats. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the cool, moist microclimate conditions this arctic-alpine species requires for survival.
Climate change and warming temperatures
Habitat fragmentation
Quarrying and rock extraction
Air pollution and acid deposition
Recreational climbing and trampling
National vs Global Threat Status
How this species is assessed at the national level compared to its IUCN global status (CR).
| Country | National Status | Global Status | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | LCLeast Concern | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
| EU | LCLeast Concern | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
National Red List data sourced from the National Red List Project (nationalredlist.org, ZSL) and country-specific Red List authorities.
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
National Red Lists: ZSL (2025). National Red List. Zoological Society of London. Available at: https://www.nationalredlist.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Forked Spleenwort (Asplenium septentrionale). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/forked-spleenwort