Moderate Fern Safe for pets

Bird's Nest Fern

Asplenium nidus

A tropical epiphytic fern forming a rosette of large, undivided, wavy apple-green fronds arranged like a bird's nest.

The essentials at a glance

Watering

Every 5 days
Light

Medium light
Humidity

60–80 %
Temperature

15–28 °C

How to care for your Bird's Nest Fern

Everything you need to keep your Bird's Nest Fern healthy: watering, light, humidity, feeding, repotting and pruning.

Asplenium nidus is a spectacular epiphytic fern native to the tropical forests of Asia, Australia, and East Africa. Unlike classic ferns with finely divided foliage, it has large, undivided, glossy, wavy fronds in a luminous apple green, arranged in a rosette reminiscent of a bird's nest. Indoors, it can reach one meter across over time. More resilient than the maidenhair fern, it nevertheless requires good humidity and regular watering to maintain its superb foliage.

Watering your Bird's Nest Fern

Every 5 days

Keep the substrate regularly moist without excess. Water around the plant, NEVER into the central rosette (the nest) as standing water causes rot. Use non-calcareous water at room temperature.

How to know it needs water

Top of substrate beginning to dry
Outer fronds losing a little firmness
Pot noticeably lighter

How much light a Bird's Nest Fern needs

Medium light

Moderate to diffused indirect light. Avoid direct sun which scorches the fronds. Tolerates semi-shaded positions well. Fronds become more undulate with more light.

Direct sun tolerated: No direct sun
Orientations that suit it: North, North-east, East, North-west

Humidity and misting

60–80 %

High (60–80%). Appreciates humid atmospheres such as bathrooms or kitchens. Mist the fronds regularly with non-calcareous water. Avoid misting directly into the center of the rosette. A nearby humidifier is beneficial.

Feeding and fertiliser

Every 14 days

Fertilize fortnightly from spring to autumn. Dilute more than the recommended dose — ferns are sensitive to excess fertilizer. No fertilization in winter.

Recommended feed: Liquid foliage plant fertilizer diluted to half strength. · 2-1-2

Repotting your Bird's Nest Fern

Every 24 months

Use a barely larger pot. Light, humus-rich substrate: potting soil, peat, perlite, and fine bark. Do not bury the central rosette. Keep moist after repotting.

When: Spring
Potting mix: All-purpose potting mix
Mix in: perlite, pine bark, sphagnum moss

The tell-tale signs

Roots emerging from drainage holes
Substrate very compacted
Plant appearing cramped in its pot

Pruning your Bird's Nest Fern

Remove brown or damaged fronds as they appear. Cut dead or damaged fronds at the base with clean secateurs. Never tear out fronds. New fronds emerge coiled from the center of the rosette — do not touch them.

Through the year

Watering is not set once and for all: it follows the light and the growth. Allow 6 days between waterings in the depth of winter, against 4 in the growing season.

Active growth · Days between waterings

Good to know

In the wild, Asplenium nidus is an epiphytic fern that grows in the forks of tropical trees — its nest-shaped rosette collects rainwater and plant debris that serve as nutrients.
New fronds emerge from the center of the rosette as coiled crosiers called fiddleheads, a characteristic and ancestral phenomenon of ferns dating back over 300 million years.

Frequently asked questions about the Bird's Nest Fern

How do you care for a Bird's Nest Fern?

Water it every 5 days. Give it medium light. Ideal humidity: 60–80 %. Ideal temperature: 15–28 °C. Keep the substrate regularly moist without excess. Water around the plant, NEVER into the central rosette (the nest) as standing water causes rot. Use non-calcareous water at room temperature.

How often should you water a Bird's Nest Fern?

Every 5 days Keep the substrate regularly moist without excess. Water around the plant, NEVER into the central rosette (the nest) as standing water causes rot. Use non-calcareous water at room temperature. How to know it needs water : Top of substrate beginning to dry ; Outer fronds losing a little firmness ; Pot noticeably lighter.

How much light does a Bird's Nest Fern need?

Medium light Moderate to diffused indirect light. Avoid direct sun which scorches the fronds. Tolerates semi-shaded positions well. Fronds become more undulate with more light. No direct sun

Is the Bird's Nest Fern toxic to cats and dogs?

No, the Bird's Nest Fern is not listed as toxic to cats and dogs. That is still no reason to let your pets chew on it.

Why are my Bird's Nest Fern leaves turning yellow?

Yellowing most often comes from too much water: the mix stays wet and the roots suffocate. Check that the pot drains, empty the saucer, and let the mix dry before watering again. Too little light or a cold draught cause the same symptom.

When should you repot a Bird's Nest Fern?

Repot every 24 months, ideally in spring. Use a barely larger pot. Light, humus-rich substrate: potting soil, peat, perlite, and fine bark. Do not bury the central rosette. Keep moist after repotting.