Bird's nest fern
Also called Nest fern, Crow's nest fern.
| Light | low light |
|---|---|
| Water | Every 5 days in the growing season, every 9 in winter |
| Humidity | high |
| Difficulty | easy |
| Height | Up to 60 cm (24 in) tall |
| Pets | Cats not known, dogs not known |
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control, toxic and non-toxic plants list, checked for Asplenium nidus.
The bird’s nest fern grows on tree trunks and rocks across tropical Asia, Australia and the Pacific, with its fronds arranged in a rosette that forms a funnel. In the wild that funnel is the point: it catches falling leaves and rainwater and rots them down into a private supply of food and moisture. Indoors it is the reason to water around the edge of the pot rather than into the middle, because in still indoor air the water that collects there does not drain and the crown rots. The fronds unfurl one at a time from the centre, pale green and crumpled, and they are easily damaged while they are soft. It tolerates genuinely low light, wants humidity, and is otherwise among the easier ferns, which is a low bar but a real one.
Ailments observed
| Brown crisp edges on the leaves | Dry air, or a pot that dried out. Move it somewhere humid and water more evenly. A bathroom suits it well. |
|---|---|
| A blackened stem at soil level | Crown rot from water sitting in the nest at the centre. Water around the edge of the pot instead, and improve the air movement. |
| Brown tips on otherwise healthy leaves | Hard tap water, or too much feed. Water with rainwater and feed weakly, no more than three times a year. |
Questions from the margin
Can I divide a bird's nest fern?
No. It grows from a single crown, and cutting it in half kills both halves. What look like two plants in one pot are usually two plants, and they can be separated at the roots.
Filed underPlants for a room the sun never really reaches, Plants for a bathroom, Plants for a bedroom, Plants that forgive a beginner, Plants for humid air, Plants for a balcony or a small space
Neighbouring entries
Boston fern
Nephrolepis exaltataBoston fern care that stops the fronds going crisp, with the humidity it needs, how often to water, and what to do with a plant that has gone brown in the middle.
African violet
Streptocarpus ionanthusAfrican violet care that keeps it flowering all year, with why you water from below, what makes the pale rings on the leaves, and how to root a single leaf.
Aloe vera
Aloe veraAloe vera care on a bright windowsill, with the soak and dry watering it needs, why leaves flatten or curl, and how to pot up the offsets.