Humidity Requirements for Bird's Nest Fern

You can propagate bird's nest fern by spore plantings.

Bird's nest fern is native to Maldives-Lakshadweep-Chagos Archipelago, an island chain in the Indian Ocean. Bird's nest earned its name from the fact that it unfurls its wavy, bright-green fronds to form a basket much like a bird's nest. The nest serves the purpose of catching rain and plant debris. Eventually the nest forms rich soil that feeds the plant.

Birds's Nest Fern

Birds's nest fern (Asplenium nidus) makes an attractive specimen plant for outdoors or as a houseplant. Planted outside in the ground, it can reach 4 feet tall and 4 feet wide. When grown as a container houseplant, it reaches about 15 inches high and 12 inches wide. Bird's nest fern thrives in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) hardiness zones 9 through 10.

Humidity

Being native to a tropical rain forest, bird's nest fern naturally requires warm, moist conditions with high humidity. When grown indoors, keep the soil moist at all times with temperatures of 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity of 65 percent or more and keep it out of drafts. If you can provide it, plant bird's nest fern in a terrarium or a tropical grouping. You can water it somewhat less in the winter, but don't let it dry out. If these cultural requirements are not met, problems can arise like frond-tip dieback, due to lack of humidity; frond death, from letting the soil dry out; and curled leaves, due to being too cold.

Planting Indoors

Bird's nest fern grows best in bright to medium, indirect light. Bright light can cause the fronds to bleach out and turn yellow. If you are planting the fern in a container, use a good potting soil or epiphyte mix. The root system of this fern is extremely small, so it seldom needs repotting. Remove older leaves on bird's nest fern as they fade.

Outdoor Planting

Outdoors, bird's nest ferns are ideal in mass plantings, as a foundation or border plant and as ground cover or edging. You can plant this fern outdoors at any time of the year. It can grow in most soils such as clay, sand, acidic and loam. Space plants 36 to 60 inches apart. Bird's nest fern's are not usually affected by disease or pests.

References

• National Geographic: Maldives-Lakshadweep-Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forests
• University of Florida Extension; Asplenium Nidus, Birds's Nest Fern; Edward F. Gilman; 2009
• "Guide to Growing Healthy Houseplants"; James D. Blume; 2005

Resources

• "Garden Ferns"; Martin Rickard; February 2003
• Ferns for American Gardens; John Mickel; October 2003