How to Grow Bird Nest Ferns
The bird nest fern is an attractive plant that is prized as a houseplant. In Hawaii, it is called the ‘ekaha, and it grows wild in the upper branches of tall trees. The fronds are light green, long and strap-shaped with a “rib” in the center. The center of the plant is fuzzy looking and resembles a bird’s nest. If you live in a tropical climate, you can add interest and beauty to your outdoor garden with bird nest ferns placed in the crotch of trees. If you live in a more temperate climate, the bird nest fern makes an excellent houseplant. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Young bird nest fern
- Decorative nursery pot, about 12 inches in diameter
- Good quality potting mix
- Perlite or vermiculite
- Trowel
Instructions
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How to plant your bird nest fern
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1
Purchase a small bird nest fern at your local garden center or specialty nursery.
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2
Gently remove the young fern from its nursery pot and then loosen the roots from the potting soil.
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3
Mix perlite or vermiculite with your potting mix at the ratio of approximately 1 part perlite/vermiculite to 8 parts potting mix.
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4
Place a thick layer of your potting mix in the bottom of an attractive 12-inch pot, and then water well.
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5
Place your fern into the decorator pot and then gently fill it to about 1 inch of the top with your prepared potting mix.
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6
Gently pat the soil down around the base of your fern and then water well.
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Tips & Warnings
If you live in a tropical climate, you can grow the bird nest fern outdoors. Simply tie your fern to the crotch of a tree with nursery tape. After a year or two, its roots will hold it to the tree and then you can remove the tape. You can also grow this fern in the ground in a shady place.
Fertilizer is rarely needed, but to be on the safe side, apply a weak solution of a general garden fertilizer twice each year.
Be sure to keep yellowing fronds pruned off.
In ancient times, young shoots of this indigenous Hawaiian plant were used for general weakness, ulcers and sores.
Do not use this plant as a food or plant medicine without first consulting with a knowledgeable healthcare practitioner.
- Photo Credit Drawn by Terry Lee
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Comments
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my bird nest fern purchased one week ago, looks like some of the ends are turning brown. in a front window with filtered sunlight. In a drainage pot. Why the brown ends.
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darelle
Oct 23, 2009
Is it ok to trim the roots of the birdsnest when re potting? Darelle -
BodhiTree23
Jan 06, 2009
ATTENTION PLEASE: I meant to write Bird's Nest "FERN". Not "PALM". I do not know what I was thinking! Now I will have people searching all over the net for a Bird's Nest Palm. Everyone is going to want one and it doesn't even exist...as far as I know, ha, ha, ha. Sorry for the mistake. Beside , how will anyone be able to help me with a suggestion for the wrong plant? Thanks. Awaiting suggestions...
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BodhiTree23
Jan 06, 2009
I have been having problems with my birds nest palms from the first day I got one. I live in New Orleans so the weather is good for it. I keep it inside, near a window in a relatively large pot. When I put it outside the sun burns the leaves very quickly. It sees it would ned constant shade. I thought that maybe my soil had too much fertilizer or perlite in it. But I got another birds nest plant after the first one was so damaged that I couldn't save it, and this time I left most of the perlite out of my soil mixture and I used no fertilizer at all. Now it only has peat moss added to it. And while it seems healthier it is still not growing well. As the new leaves come out (which is very sowly) the older leaves become faded in color, almost a tint of grey, to slightly yellow, and seemingly dry but not dead, so I remove them. The new ones usually come out crunched up and split on the sides
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BodhiTree23
Jan 06, 2009
I have been having problems with my birds nest palms from the first day I got one. I live in New Orleans so the weather is good for it. I keep it inside, near a window in a relatively large pot. When I put it outside the sun burns the leaves very quickly. It sees it would ned constant shade. I thought that maybe my soil had too much fertilizer or perlite in it. But I got another birds nest plant after the first one was so damaged that I couldn't save it, and this time I left most of the perlite out of my soil mixture and I used no fertilizer at all. Now it only has peat moss added to it. And while it seems healthier it is still not growing well. As the new leaves come out (which is very sowly) the older leaves become faded in color, almost a tint of grey, to slightly yellow, and seemingly dry but not dead, so I remove them. The new ones usually come out crunched up and split on the sides
