Native Britain

Latin name: Ophioglossum vulgatum

Common name: Adder’s tongue fern

Other names: Adder’s grass, Christ’s spear

A shy little fern of damp places, Adder’s tongue fern is considered rare, but it may simply be that it is hard to spot. It is said that once you have spied one of them, you’ll see lots more! Its name obviously relates to the tongue-like appearance of the spike, but the fern was also once used as a remedy for a snake bite, applied as a poultice made from leaves and rhizomes. It was also used to heal swellings and tongue conditions. In his 2004 poem, Giles Watson writes of the adder’s tongue fern: “I am indicated, too/ For disorders of the tongue/ As a drink for wounds/ A balm for bruises/ A lotion for the weeping eye.” But be warned, for he adds: “Follow the serpents to find me/ She who picks me, snakes pursue.”