An Indoor Fern We Can't Help but Fall For

We love bird's-nest fern, yes we do.

Bird's-nest fern, also known as Asplenium nidus, is a bright green fern with frilly fronds. It gets its name from its appearance, because if you look in the center of the plant, it resembles a bird's nest. (You might have to squint.) While other ferns have delicate fronds with many leaflets connected by a central stem, the fronds of bird's-nest fern are unmistakable: They're wide, with no leaflet divisions, and they have wavy, curved edges. Learn more about bird's-nest fern below, and read about one of our favorite ferns that can stand up to Southern heat.

Bird's Nest Fern
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About Bird's-Nest Fern

Asplenium species belong to the family Aspleniaceae . They have apple green, even lime green, foliage. Their showy fronds are undivided and can grow to 3-5 feet long by 8 inches wide. The frond cluster grows upright in a grouping from to 2-3 feet wide. Related species include Asplenium bulbiferum, or mother fern ; Asplenium platyneuron, or ebony spleenwort ; Asplenium rhizophyllum, or walking fern ; and Asplenium scolopendrium, or Hart's tongue fern .

Bird's-Nest Fern Care

Asplenium nidus , or bird's-nest fern, thrives in partial or full shade and requires regular water. According to The New Southern Living Garden Book, ″Unlike many other ferns, they need a rest period from late fall to early spring when grown indoors; during that time, reduce watering and withhold fertilizer.″ It likes well-draining soil, and it is also good in rock gardens.

Bird's-Nest Fern Shade Tolerance

This fern thrives in low light environments, which makes it an ideal choice for your roster of houseplants . If you have a dearth of sunny windows, or if that windowsill space is taken up by your sun-hungry herb garden, then cultivate bird's-nest ferns, which can tolerate shady spaces. They can also thrive in some sunlight; The New Southern Living Garden Book says, ″Indoor plants like bright filtered light; a spot in an east-facing window is ideal. Outdoors, they prefer gritty, well-drained soil."

What's your favorite indoor plant? Are you someone who loves ferns, or do you have other preferred plants for hanging baskets?

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Sources
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  1. Asplenium nidus L. U.S. Department of Agriculture Plants Database.

  2. Asplenium nidus (Birds Nest Fern, Nest Fern) . North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.

  3. Asplenium bulbiferum (Hen and Chickens Fern, Mother Fern, Mother Spleenwort, New Zealand Common Spleenwort, Pikopiko) . North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.

  4. Asplenium platyneuron (Brownstem Spleenwort, Ebony Spleenwort) . North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.

  5. Asplenium rhizophyllum (North American Walking Fern, Walking Fern) . North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.

  6. Asplenium scolopendrium . Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder.

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