Bird’s nest fern

Bird’s nest fern: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Funnel-shaped rosette of fronds around a central heart, 50–70 cm tall indoors and up to 80 cm wide.

Fronds

Undivided, lance-shaped, 30–60 cm long and 5–15 cm wide, glossy apple green with a dark midrib; the edge is flat or wavy.

Heart

A brown, felty ‘nest’ in the centre, from which the young fronds emerge rolled up and slowly unfurl.

Spores

Long brown stripes form along the side veins on the underside of older fronds: these are spore clusters, not a disease.

Roots

A compact, fibrous root ball; in the wild it uses it to cling to branches.

Plants: March–April

Why grow it?

• A neat, tropical rosette of broad fronds: a real eye-catcher all year round.
• Tolerates partial shade and shade, so also a spot well away from the window.
• No fine leaflets that drop, as with many other ferns.
• Loves humid air, so it does very well in a bright bathroom or kitchen.
• Grows slowly and so stays attractive for a long time with little work.

Bird’s nest fern: where does it grow best?

• Bright light to partial shade without direct sun; a shady spot is also fine, though it grows more slowly there.
• Warm: 18–24 °C is ideal, never below 15 °C. No draughts.
• Humid air: a bright bathroom or a group of plants helps. Not right next to a radiator.
• Give it space all round: the fronds get damaged if they rub against walls or furniture.

Light

Bright, out of direct sun or low light

Potting soil

Multi-purpose compost or airy, humus-rich compost

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Watering

Moderately or generously

Size

0.7 m tall, 0.8 m wide

Temperature

Minimum 15 °C

Goes well with

• Boston fern: A fine, airy contrast next to the broad, neat fronds.
• Calathea: Patterned leaves for the same partial shade and humid air.
• Swiss cheese plant: Large, cut leaves that also like light without direct sun.
• Bromeliad: Also a rainforest epiphyte, with colourful bracts.

Bird’s nest fern: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April.

1. Repot in March–April, only when the roots fill the pot: every 2–3 years is enough.
2. Choose a pot only 2–3 cm wider than the old one; in a pot that is too big the compost stays too wet.
3. Use light, humus-rich compost mixed with a little fine bark or perlite.
4. Do not set the plant deeper than before: the heart must stay above the compost.
5. Water on the compost, around the edge of the pot, and let the excess drain away.

Care

Water

Keep the compost lightly moist, never soggy. Water on the compost and not into the heart of the rosette, or it will rot. Less in winter.

Humidity

Stand the pot on a tray of pebbles and water or group it with other plants.

Feeding

From April to September, houseplant feed at half strength once a month.

Fronds

Wipe off dust with a damp cloth. Do not use leaf shine: it damages the fronds.

Water quality

Preferably rainwater or soft water at room temperature.

Tip: Water on the compost and not into the heart of the rosette, or it will rot. Ideally keep it in a bright bathroom: there it finds the humid air that keeps its frond edges nice and green.

Bird’s nest fern: when to prune it?

When: Pruning is not needed. Just cut off old, brown or damaged fronds, at any time of year.

How:

• Cut an unsightly frond off at the base, as close to the heart as possible, without touching the heart.
• Never cut into the heart: that is where the new fronds grow.
• A frond with just a brown edge can stay; you can trim the edge following its natural shape if you like.

Caution: Do not touch the young, unfurling fronds: they are very delicate and any damage stays visible as the frond grows.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Spores

For patient growers: sow ripe spores from the underside of a frond onto a moist, sterile seed mix, under glass or plastic at 21–25 °C. After a few months small plantlets appear. Division is not possible, as it forms a single rosette.

Bird’s nest fern: how does it get through the winter?

• Indoors all year: it does not tolerate cold and already suffers below 15 °C.
• Water less in winter and do not feed, but do not let the root ball dry out.
• Keep it away from cold windows, draughts and hot radiators.
• Raise the humidity to counter the dry air from central heating.

Diseases and pests

• Heart rot: The heart turns brown and soft, caused by water in the rosette or by compost that is too wet and cold. From now on water the compost; a rotten heart will not recover.
• Brown frond edges: Caused by dry air, draughts or too little water. Raise the humidity and water more regularly.
• Scale insects: Brown, domed shells along the midrib that can be scraped off, with sticky honeydew. Remove them with a soft little brush. Do not confuse them with the stripe-shaped spore clusters.
• Pale, yellow fronds: Too much sun or too little feed. Move it out of the sun and feed a little in the growing season.

Through the year

• January: Little water, no feeding. Away from cold windows.
• March: Repot if the pot is full of roots.
• April: Repot. Start feeding monthly again.
• May: Feed. Keep out of direct sun.
• June: Feed. Keep the compost lightly moist.
• July: Feed. In warm weather, pay extra attention to humidity.
• August: Feed. Wipe the fronds with a damp cloth.
• September: Last feed of the year.
• October: Water less.
• December: Little water. Raise the humidity to counter the dry air from central heating.

Did you know?

• In the rainforest it grows high up in the trees. Its funnel-shaped rosette catches falling leaves, which rot down into food: hence the name bird’s nest fern.
• In the wild, the fronds can grow more than a metre long.
• The brown stripes on the underside of the fronds are spore clusters: ferns do not produce flowers or seeds, but reproduce by spores.