Two aspleniums: the classic bird’s nest fern with rippled, tongue-shaped fronds around a fuzzy central crown, and the glossy, tougher hybrid ‘Austral Gem’. Ferns that handle indoor life better than most — as long as you never water the crown.
Most ferns struggle in an Arizona house; the bird’s nest fern is the one we recommend. Its fronds are broad, smooth and leathery rather than finely divided, which means they lose water slowly and stand up to air conditioning far better than a maidenhair or a Boston fern. They grow from a central rosette — the “nest” — in a vase shape that suits a bathroom counter, a shaded patio in the mild months or a dim corner of a living room.
We commonly carry two: the species Asplenium nidus, with light green, wavy-edged fronds, and ‘Austral Gem’, a hybrid with narrower, darker, glossier fronds that tolerates dry air even better. The one rule for both: water the soil, never the crown. The rest of the bench is on our Houseplants page.
These are the bird’s nest fern varieties we commonly carry. Availability changes week to week and season to season, so call (480) 987-3308 or stop in to see what’s on the bench today.
Asplenium nidus: broad, apple-green, wavy-edged fronds with a dark midrib, radiating from a brown, fuzzy crown. Reaches two feet across in a pot. Bright indirect light, evenly moist soil, and no water in the center.
Asplenium ‘Austral Gem’: a hybrid with narrower, thicker, glossy dark fronds on a tidier plant. Sterile, so no spore dust on the furniture, and noticeably more tolerant of dry air than the species.
Looking for one that isn’t listed? Ask — we can usually suggest a close match or tell you when it tends to come around.
The care tag was written somewhere else. This is the Queen Creek version.
Water around the edge of the pot, not into the central rosette; water sitting in the crown rots the growing point and kills the fern. Keep the mix evenly moist — water when the top inch is dry, every four to six days in summer indoors and weekly in winter. Filtered or rain water avoids the brown frond tips our hard tap water causes. A pot with a hole and a well-draining mix.
They cope with our dry indoor air better than other ferns, but they still prefer 40–50 percent humidity. A bathroom or kitchen window, a pebble tray, or grouping with other plants keeps the frond edges from browning. Keep them out of the direct airflow from air-conditioning and heater vents.
New fronds unfurl from the center and the oldest, outermost ones brown and die naturally; cut them off at the base. Don’t trim brown tips into the frond too hard — a clean angled snip following the shape looks best. Wipe dust from the fronds every few weeks.
Medium to bright indirect light: a north window, a few feet from an east one, or filtered south light. Bird’s nest ferns tolerate lower light than most houseplants but grow slowly there. Direct sun, even an hour through west glass in summer, scorches the fronds pale and brown.
A loose, peaty, well-draining mix — potting mix with extra perlite and some bark. Repot only when the rosette crowds the pot, every two to three years; they like to be slightly snug. Feed a balanced liquid fertilizer at quarter strength every four to six weeks from March through September, applied to the soil, never the crown.
Bird’s nest ferns are non-toxic to cats and dogs. Scale and mealybugs hide on the frond undersides; treat with insecticidal soap, never oil sprays on ferns. Outdoors, deep shade on a covered patio from March to May and October until nights near 45°F; summer heat, sun and frost all damage it.
Yellowing, spots, no new growth — snap a photo of the plant and its window and we’ll diagnose it at the bench. Advice is free.
We stock indoor potting mix, orchid bark and perlite for the chunky blends aroids and epiphytes want, balanced houseplant fertilizers, insecticidal soap and neem for the usual mealybug and mite visits, and moss poles, hoops and saucers. The pottery yard has terracotta, glazed and lightweight pots from 4-inch up, plus hanging baskets and cache pots.
Water got into the crown and rotted the growing point. Always water the soil around the edge of the pot. A rotted crown rarely recovers; a plant with a healthy center and brown outer fronds is just shedding old growth.
Yes — it is non-toxic to cats and dogs.
When the top inch is dry, every four to six days in summer indoors and weekly in winter, around the edge of the pot. Filtered water helps prevent brown tips.
Dry air, hard tap water, or a vent blowing on it. Raise humidity, switch to filtered water and move it out of the draft.
Bright shade — a north window or a few feet from an east one. It tolerates low light but never direct sun.
‘Austral Gem’. Its thicker, glossier fronds handle dry air and irregular watering better, and it produces no spores. The species has the classic wavy, bright green look.
Bird’s Nest Fern live on the houseplant bench; any staff member can point you to them. Locally owned, and a short drive from San Tan Valley, Gilbert, Chandler and Mesa.