How to Grow and Care for Bird’s Nest Ferns

How to Grow and Care for Bird’s Nest Ferns Asplenium spp.

There’s so much to love about the bird’s nest fern.

The large, rippling, bright green fronds that create a rosette of foliage with a charming “nest” in the middle. It’s easygoing nature that won’t have you constantly fussing with it.

It’s the perfect fern for those who are just starting out in the world of Polypodiopsida.

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The Victorians were absolutely obsessed with ferns. They even had a name for it: Pteridomania.

Bird’s nest was one of the most popular ferns during that time, thriving in the typically dark interior of the Victorian home without needing a lot of care, and with a unique appearance that no other houseplant could match.

Lots of plants popular during Victorian times have since fallen out of fashion, but bird’s nest ferns have continued to capture our hearts.

If you’re ready to bring this beauty into your home, this guide can help you find success. Here’s what we’ll go over:

Great news, pet lovers. Bird’s nest fern is safe for pets (and humans) because it’s nontoxic. In fact, it’s edible. That, and lots more fun facts, coming right up:

What Are Bird’s Nest Ferns?

There are about 700 species in the Asplenium genus, and many of these are commonly referred to as bird’s nest ferns since they share a similar morphology, but it’s A. nidus specifically that most people have in mind.

All species in the genus are epiphytes that can adapt to life in the soil as well.

In their natural habitat they typically grow in palm trees, but can thrive as terrestrial plants in loose, humus-rich soil.

They have a shallow rhizome that allows them to anchor onto trees, deadwood, mossy rocks, or in the earth.

All species can grow outdoors in Zones 10 to 12.

A. nidus is indigenous to eastern Africa, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, where it grows in warm, tropical climates.

The plant has a basal rosette of long, narrow leaves that form a dense cluster at the center. This center area is where the “nest” moniker comes from. Debris and moisture