Asplenium Nidus

Asplenium Nidus

Bird Nest Fern is one of the easiest types of ferns to grow in a terrarium or vivarium. This tropical native is fast growing and will live for many years with good care.

In its natural habitat, it grows as an epiphyte in the warm, moist, tropical rain forests. Despite its tropical beginnings, it adapts well to being a dart frog home plant. Provide humidity and you'll keep it healthy. This unique fern grows in the form of a deep rosette of large, shiny, spear-shaped fronds. New fronds unfurl from the center of the plant. Its fronds are fragile, so I'd put this fern where passersby won't brush up against it. 

Repot young plants in spring, every couple years or when the roots fill the pot. Use a container with drainage holes to avoid overwatering.

Origin: Southeast Asia and Tropical Australia

Height: 2 ft

Light: Moderate to bright light. No direct sun. Turn pot regularly for even growth.

Water: Keep soil evenly moist. Water the potting mix, not the center of the rosette, otherwise it can easily rot. Yellowing fronds are often a sign of overwatering.

Planting: Should be watered regularly. Do not let it dry out between water.

Humidity: Moderate. If the relative humidity drops below 50%, use a humidity tray or room humidifier to add moisture to the air around the fern.

Temperature: 60-75°F/16-24°C

Propagation: Spores