Bird's Nest Fern: Overview

Get the gorgeous Bird's Nest Fern (Asplenium nidus) and enjoy it as a stunning centerpiece in your living room! This bushy plant boasts a lush rosette of green, leathery, and wavy fronds. The Bird’s Nest Fern is an epiphyte, like Bromeliads or Orchids, attaching itself to other plants when it grows in the wild.

The Bird’s Nest Fern belongs to the Aspleniaceae family and is native to the tropical areas of Southeast Asia, Africa, Polynesia, and Australia. This beautiful fern can grow outdoors on the patio in hardiness zones 10-11, preferably in partial shade. When mature, the long, stemless fronds of the Bird’s Nest Fern plant can reach up to 4 ft. in length. Indoors, this gorgeous fern often lives for over 15 years and grows gradually thicker and larger. This tropical plant needs plenty of bright, indirect sunshine and humidity but is otherwise easy to care for, even for beginners. Moreover, this plant is non-toxic and pet-friendly.

In Feng Shui, the fern bird’s Nest symbolizes growth, tenacity, and adaptability to change. Ferns are often recommended for balancing the energy in interior spaces and creating a sense of tranquility and rest.

Bird's Nest Fern: Benefits

• Purifies the air, removing toxins like formaldehyde
• Lush, beautiful foliage with a tropical vibe
• Symbolizes growth and resilience in Feng Shui
• It’s a low-maintenance plant
• Increases humidity and lowers the temperature

Bird's Nest Fern: Care Guide

The Bird’s Nest Fern is easy-care and adaptable. Here is how to care for Bird's Nest Fern to keep it in perfect shape:

Watering and Humidity

Bird’s Nest Ferns prefer consistently moist but not soggy soil. Water your plant regularly, but let the water drain before replacing it in its decorative pot. The Bird’s Nest Fern thrives in medium to high humidity. You can increase humidity around this indoor plant by placing it on a pebble tray or grouping it with other plants. To avoid fungal and bacterial diseases, refrain from misting the leaves. 

Light and Temperature

This fern grows best in bright, indirect light but can adapt to lower light levels. Never leave your Bird’s Nest Fern in direct sunlight to avoid leaf burn. Providing your plant with sufficient light is vital to keep its fronds wavy.

The best temperatures for this tropical fern range from 70°F to 80°F. If grown as a porch plant, bring it indoors when the night temperatures fall below 65°F.

Soil, Feeding, and Repotting

This beautiful plant grows best in well-draining, nutrient-rich soil. Mix in some perlite and charcoal to enhance drainage and provide the necessary nutrients. Feed your plant weekly with a liquid fertilizer during the growing season.

Repot in spring or when the roots start growing out of the drainage holes, as this plant won’t require repotting immediately after purchase. Water the fern well before repotting.

Propagation

You can propagate a large Bird’s Nest Fern plant by dividing it carefully during repotting. Plant the individual sections in pots of soil and place them in a location with bright, indirect light. 

If you’re an experienced indoor gardener, you can try to propagate your fern from spores. These are brownish fuzzy spots located along the underside of the fronds.

Pruning, Cleaning, and Common Issues

A key aspect of Bird's Nest Fern care is knowing when and how to trim it. Prune it in the spring or the beginning of summer so the plant can grow new foliage in the active season.

To remove dust, clean your fern’s leaves with a damp cloth. Keep the soil free from debris and dead leaves.

If your fern isn’t getting enough light, its leaves may start yellowing. Dry weather can cause brown leaf tips, so increase the humidity around your plant. If your Bird’s Nest Fern fronds are getting less wavy, this may be due to insufficient light or too much fertilizer.

Bird's Nest Fern: Placement, Companion & Alternative Plants

Let’s see the best placement options for your Bird’s Nest Fern and some companion and alternative plants.

Best Locations & Uses

• Amazing, pet-friendly choice for pet owners
• Perfect gift plant for beginner indoor gardeners
• Wonderful, compact fern for your office
• Ideal bedroom plant because of its air-cleansing properties  
• Great as a porch plant in warm, humid climates

Companion Plants

Keep humidity high around your plant by grouping it with other moisture-loving plants:

• Maranta Red Prayer Plant (Maranta leuconeura var. kerchoveana): The Maranta Red Prayer Plant thrives in humid environments, making it a perfect companion for your beloved fern.
• Dwarf Cavendish Banana Tree (Musa acuminata): A plant with large, broad leaves, the Dwarf Cavendish Banana Tree produces edible bananas you can grow at home.
• Pink Flamingo Flower (Anthurium andraeanum Pink): With its flowers resembling pink hearts, the Pink Flamingo Flower is a delightful humidity-loving plant to add to your collection.

Alternative Plants

Ferns are adaptable and beautiful plants with a tropical and vibrant ambiance, and there are plenty of alternative varieties to choose from and find the perfect fit for your home:

• Black Rabbit Foot Fern (Davallia fejeensis): An epiphyte with lacey leaves, the Black Rabbit Foot Fern has fuzzy rhizomes at the base that resemble a rabbit’s hind feet when small.
• Staghorn Fern (Platycerium bifurcatum): With its large antler-like fronds, the Staghorn Fern is an unusual and eye-catching plant.
• Lemon Button Fern (Nephrolepis cordifolia 'Lemon Buttons'): An adorable fern with airy leaves, the Lemon Button Fern is easy-care and compact.

Green Up Your Space With a Bird's Nest Fern From LivelyRoot!

Order the lush and beautiful Bird's Nest Fern from Lively Root and transform your indoor or outdoor space!