Botanical name: Asplenium nidus
Named by: Carl Linnaeus (1753)
Family: Aspleniaceae
Genus: Asplenium
Native area: Asia, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, Polynesia
Common names: Bird's-nest fern, nest fern
Photo by Houseplants.xyz / Negabiljaka.com
Care difficulty: average
Light preference: bright indirect light
Minimum temperature: 13°C (55°F)
Optimal temperature: 16-21°C (61-70°F)
Humidity: high
Watering: keep the soil moist but not wet
Fertilizing: 10-10-10, monthly
Soil: 30% orchid bark, 30% peat moss, 40% perlite
pH: 5
Repotting: yearly
Speed of growth: moderate
Mature size: up to 1.5m tall (3ft.) and 1m wide (2ft.)
Flower: plant doesn't flower
Propagation: by spores, tissue culture
Pests: scale, mealybugs, fungus gnats
Diseases: bacterial blight (Xanthomonas)
Toxicity: not toxic
Notes:
- Asplenium's prefers cooler room temperatures (up to 21°C or 70°F)
- in nature they are epiphytes and they usually grow on trees, their substrate needs to be well-draining
- water around the outside edges of the pot, water in the central part of the plant can cause bacterial blight