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Hart's Tongue Fern (Asplenium scolopendrium var. americanum)
The Owen Sound Field Naturalists Collection, #7
The Hart's Tongue Fern (Asplenium scolopendrium var. americanum) is one of North America's rarest ferns and one of Ontario's most celebrated botanical treasures, its long undivided glossy fronds utterly unlike any other fern in the province and instantly recognizable to those lucky enough to encounter it. Belonging to a lineage stretching back millions of years into the Jurassic period, this is a plant that outlasted the dinosaurs and has been growing in the cool humid microclimates of limestone sinkholes and shaded cliff faces of the Bruce Peninsula for longer than the human mind can meaningfully grasp — the vast ancient forest surrounding a single small plant is not backdrop but context, the world this fern has always inhabited. Listed as Endangered under both the Ontario Endangered Species Act and the federal Species at Risk Act, its tiny global population is concentrated in just a handful of sites.
Reference photography for inspiration was kindly provided by Willy Waterton, thank you!
✨ 15% will be donated to conservation from all OSFN Collection original paintings ✨
In a collaboration to highlight the enjoyment of our backyard wildlife here in Ontario, the Owen Sound Field Naturalists and signature member of Artists for Conservation, Sarah McComb Turbitt, created a challenge to paint as many local species as she can during March 2026. 15% of original artworks, 35% of limited-edition prints, and 50% of artwork cards will be donated to OSFN. The Owen Sound Field Naturalists promotes and fosters learning about nature through their ongoing programs and sponsorships. They support a wide variety of activities, including a Young Naturalists Program, stewardship of many natural heritage properties in Grey Bruce Counties, interpretive signage, presentations by knowledgeable speakers and outdoor excursions with experienced leaders.
All original artwork is hand-signed by Sarah McComb-Turbitt and includes a certificate of authenticity and white cotton gloves for handling the painting upon delivery.