Bird's Nest Fern (Asplenium nidus)
Asplenium nidus

Evergreen Perennial (usually grown as an annual near you) Rosette, upright fronds in the Aspleniaceae Family
A dramatic tropical fern whose glossy, wavy fronds unfurl from a central rosette, forming the nest-like shape that gives it its name.

Asplenium nidus is a tropical epiphytic fern native to Southeast Asia, Australia, Polynesia, and parts of Africa, where it grows perched on tree trunks and branches rather than rooted in soil, gathering moisture and nutrients from the humid air and decomposing leaf litter around it. Its wide, undivided, glossy green fronds are unusual for a fern — most ferns have finely divided, feathery leaves — and they unfurl outward from a central growing point in a rosette that gives the plant its common name.

In the Chicago area it's grown strictly as a houseplant or seasonal patio accent, since it has no cold tolerance outside USDA zones 11-12. It rewards bright, indirect light and consistently moist, humid conditions with a bold, architectural presence that few other ferns can match.

Pros

  • Bold, architectural houseplant that thrives in low-light corners
  • Undivided, glossy fronds add a different texture than most ferns
  • Tolerates the dry indoor air of winter better than many tropical ferns
  • Non-toxic to pets

Cons

  • Needs consistently moist soil and high humidity to look its best
  • Slow-growing, so a full, lush specimen takes patience
  • Fronds are delicate and can tear or brown if handled roughly
  • Not cold-hardy outdoors outside USDA zones 11-12
This plant is probably not winter-hardy outdoors where you live.
Why Like In the wild, Asplenium nidus lives as an epiphyte high in the rainforest canopy, anchoring itself to tree bark with a mass of wiry roots rather than growing in soil. Its rosette of upright fronds acts like a funnel, catching falling leaves, bark fragments, and rainwater; as that debris breaks down at the center of the rosette, it becomes a self-supplied compost pile that feeds the fern's own roots. This same structure makes bird's nest ferns an important habitat for insects, frogs, and other small canopy-dwelling animals in their native forests.
Highlights One of the few ferns with wide, glossy, undivided fronds rather than finely-cut foliage, giving it a bold, almost tropical-foliage-plant look. In its native rainforest canopy it's a true epiphyte, growing on tree bark and collecting falling leaf litter in the cup of its rosette — a detail that makes it as interesting botanically as it is decoratively.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 3 - 5 feet tall. 24 - 36 inches wide.
Growth Rate Slow
Sun Exposure Full Shade - Partial Shade
Moisture Tolerance Medium : Needs consistently moist soil and high ambient humidity; does not tolerate drying out between waterings or the dry air of a typical heated home in winter without supplemental humidity. At the same time, it doesn't tolerate waterlogged, poorly-drained soil — the goal is evenly moist, never soggy.
Zones 11a - 12b (Usually hardy to 40° F)
Tags Annual in Chicago, Deer Resistant, Evergreen, Full Shade, Good Indoor Plant, Grown For Attractive Foliage, House Plants, Medium, Native to Asia, Non-Allergenic, Partial Shade, Perennial, Rabbit Resistant, Shade Tolerant, Slow Growth Rate, Tender Perennial, Thrillers, Tropical, Well-Drained Soil
Bloom Period Non-flowering
Flower Color Non-flowering
Foliage Color
 

In The News
 

More Info from Experts

Commonly Planted with...

Pairs well with other tropical foliage houseplants that share its preference for bright, indirect light and high humidity — pothos, philodendron, calathea, and other ferns with finer, more feathery foliage, which contrast nicely against its bold undivided fronds.

Photos of This with...

Myers Foxtail Fern, Florist's Cineraria
 
Want More photos of this plant? Try Google Image Search!
 


Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 02/05 - 08/23
2024 : 02/08 - 09/08
2023 : 03/02 - 05/07


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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!