Bird’s Nest Fern Care Guide

Family: Aspleniaceae

Genus: Asplenium

Botanical Name: Asplenium nidus

Difficulty: Easy to care for

Light

Bird’s nest ferns really like medium-indirect sunlight and partial shade.

Water

They generally need to be watered every 1-2 weeks, but this can vary depending on light conditions. You should let the soil dry out about half way before watering.

Climate

They like to be warm but can tolerate average household humidity levels. They do best in rooms that stay pretty humid: bathrooms, laundry rooms, and kitchens. They like temperatures between 65°F and 75°F.

Soil

They’ll be happiest in a loamy, moist, well-draining soil. They enjoy a peat-based potting mix too!

Pests and Diseases

They aren’t generally affected by pests, but you may want to keep an eye out for scale.

Tips

• Don’t touch the new fronds because this can damage them, leaving them deformed or cause them to fall of.

• If you’re comfy then they’re comfy!

• Avoid pouring water directly into the center of your fern. You can bottom water them or pour the water around the outside of the plant, avoiding getting the center wet.

Signs your plant is unhappy

• Pale leaves: needs water

• Brown, crispy leaves: low humidity levels.

How to Propagate

Bird’s nest ferns are not the easiest to propagate because they produce spores for reproducing. These can take a while to grow, so many people choose to just buy a younger plant that has already rooted. BUT if you do want to embark on that journey yourself, wait until the spores (fuzzy brown spots on the undersides of the leaves) are nice and plump before taking them from the plant.

Using a sharp pair of snips, cut off a frond and place it in a paper bag. The spores will fall out of the fronds while in the bag, and then you can place them on a bed of damp moss. Then, wrap the container in plastic wrap and place it in warm spot that is out of direct sunlight. The moss will need to stay damp at all times, so you may need to mist it to keep the spore alive.

Fun Facts

• There are several varieties of bird’s nest ferns that each have different leaf shapes!

• They have a pretty slow growth rate when kept as houseplants.

• They are ephipytic in their natural habitat.

Hardiness Zones

Before you move your plant outside, be sure to check the hardiness zone to save yourself some grief and the loss of a beloved plant.

The hardiness zones for bird’s nests ferns are: 11-12

If you live in Tennessee, here’s a hardiness map to help you decide if your plant can survive outside!