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 |
| 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
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.
Staghorn fern
Platycerium bifurcatumStaghorn fern care on a board or in a basket, with how to water a plant that has no soil and why the flat brown shield is not dying.
Maidenhair fern
Adiantum raddianumThe finest foliage of any houseplant on wiry black stems, and the least forgiving. Constant moisture, humidity and no direct sun at all.