Bird's nest fern (Asplenium nidus) with wavy bright green fronds rising from the centre — Photo by feey on Unsplash

Bird's nest fern care

Asplenium nidus · Aspleniaceae

Also called Nest fern.

By the Greenie team · Fact-checked October 5, 2026

An epiphytic fern from the rainforests of Southeast Asia, New Guinea and tropical Australia, where it perches on tree trunks. Its shiny, undivided fronds, each with a dark central rib, rise in a ring from a hollow crown and open out like a shallow bowl. Indoors the fronds reach about 45-60 cm, and it is one of the easier ferns to keep in a home.

Light

Bright Indirect

Watering

Weekly

Difficulty

Medium

Pets

Not confirmed

Height indoors

0.45-0.6 m

Growth

Slow

Temperature

16-21 °C

Not below 13 °C

HumidityUnconfirmed

50% - 70%

Likes humid air

Soil pHUnconfirmed

5.5-7.0

Slightly acidic soil

Native to

Australia
Brunei
CXR
FSM
Indonesia
Malaysia
Philippines
PLW
Papua New Guinea
Singapore
Solomon Islands

Through the year

Water when the top 2-3 cm of soil are dry, pouring around the edge of the pot rather than into the central rosette. Never let the soil dry out completely or the pot stand in water.

Spring
Weekly
New fronds unroll from the center; repot if needed and start feeding.
Summer
Weekly
Keep the soil evenly moist; it can go outdoors in full shade once nights stay above 10 °C.
Autumn
Weekly
Bring it inside before nights drop below 10 °C and stop feeding.
Winter
Every 2 weeks
Run a humidifier or use a pebble tray, keep it above 13 °C and let the topsoil dry a little more between waterings.

Feeding

Every 4 weeks in spring and summer. Liquid houseplant fertilizer at half strength, from late spring through summer. Do not feed a freshly repotted plant for six months.

Care tips

Keep water out of the center
Water collecting in the central rosette can rot the crown, so water the soil at the edge of the pot.
Handle the fronds gently
The fronds bruise and tear easily and do not repair, so place it where it will not be brushed against.
Use a loose, rich mix
A porous, peaty or fern potting mix that drains fast suits its epiphytic roots.
Repot only when needed
Growth is slow, so it only needs a pot one size up every few years. Do it in spring, as the first new fronds start to unroll.

Common problems

Yellowing fronds

What you seeFronds fade to yellow and new growth stops.

What to doIt is getting too much sun; move it to bright, indirect light such as a north- or east-facing window.
Brown frond edges

What you seeFrond margins turn brown and papery.

What to doMove it away from drafts, heat vents and fireplaces and raise the humidity with a humidifier or pebble tray.
Scale insects

What you seeSmall brown bumps along the midribs and undersides of the fronds.

What to doWipe them off by hand and use insecticidal soap if needed; ordinary chemical insecticides damage the fronds.

Pets

Is bird's nest fern safe for cats and dogs?

Not confirmed. The ASPCA has no entry for this species. It lists a close relative, mother spleenwort (Asplenium bulbiferum), as non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Houseplants the ASPCA lists as safe for cats and dogs

Good to know

In the wild, dead leaves that drop into the hollow crown break down there and become a private supply of nutrients for the fern.
In the wild its fronds can reach 1.2-1.5 m long, two to three times their size indoors.
The spores sit in straight dark lines on the underside of the fronds, running from the midrib toward the edge like a herringbone.