Bird’s Nest Fern Makes a Textural Houseplant for Low Light

Virtues:  We love bird's nest fern (Asplenium nidus) for its rippling leaves that provide lively green interest without strong sunlight. Here's how to grow it as a houseplant.

Common name: Bird's nest fern

Botanical name:Asplenium nidus

Foliage: Long, strappy green leaves grow in a semi-upright rosette from a central point at soil level. The leaves are rippled at the edges, something like lasagna noodles.

Season: Year-round.

Origin: Tropical rain forests, where they grow in the crotches of tree branches.

How to grow bird's nest fern: Keeping in mind its origins in tropical rain forests, provide bird's nest fern with filtered or indirect light, warm temperatures and high humidity. They prefer temps in the 70s and require consistent, frequent watering. Bird's nest fern is not low maintenance, but it's not particularly hard to care for, either. It will reward your attention with its lush green leaves and architectural form.

Image: "Asplenium nidus 003" by KENPEI - KENPEI's photo. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asplenium_nidus_003.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Asplenium_nidus_003.jpg