Maidenhair Fern, Adiantum capillus-veneris, is an example of a calciphile - a plant that grows exclusively in calcareous soils (soils rich in calcium carbonate). Florida is built on a bedrock of carbonate, primarily limestone, that was accumulated over millions of years of marine deposits when most of what we call “Florida” was covered in seawater or shallow marshes. This limestone underlying our state is exposed at the surface in many areas, and if those spots are moist as well, you can find pl