Lg. Japanese Bird’s Nest Fern (asplenium antiquum)

ABOUT THIS FERN

Lg. Japanese Bird’s Nest Fern (asplenium antiquum) – The Perfect Houseplant – (Lg. Specimen, 4” Pot) Bird’s Nest Fern is a visually striking plant with bright green, fronds that grow in a rosette pattern forming a nest shape. The gorgeous upright growth sets this easy-to-grow Bird’s Nest apart from the others. A perfect contender for 6″ and 8″ containers indoors or out. Japanese Bird prefers to be kept on the dry side in a peat-lite media. A natural in 4 to 6 inch pots or in dish gardens and makes a great addition to any home or urban balcony. These are very healthy plants with well established root system.
Easy to grow ferns are one of natures most versatile, lush foliage plants. The growth rate and leaf color of Japanese Bird’s Nest Fern will vary greatly depending on soil type, sunlight, temperature and other factors. A few leaves are often trimmed prior to shipping to reduce transpiration and travel stress.

QUICK SPECS

FERN PLANT CARE

Japanese Bird’s Nest Ferns are very easy to grow ferns that require little care indoors or out, producing more vibrant frond color when grown in light shade. Japanese Bird’s Nest Ferns can be grown as house plants, table plants or outdoors in mild climates. They thrive in moist soils with high organic matter and grow best when provided with filtered sunlight. Indoors plants thrive at temperatures between 55°- 80°F and in lower light conditions than other house plants. In the ground Japanese Bird’s Nest Ferns get larger and are often more colorful than in their potted juvenile state. They add a wonderful accent to any well-lit space or cascading from your favorite planter.
When you receive your new fern, there is no need to worry about planting right away. Your new plant can be stored for a while by simply placing it in a tray or bucket with about a half inch of water in the bottom and moving it to a shady location. You can then add some mulch to keep your plant standing upright. The mulch will also supply nutrients while in storage. This will give you plenty of time to select the ideal location for your new fern plant.

CONTAINER SIZE

All fern varieties grow very well in containers, indoors or on the patio. Allow enough room for growth generally a 6″ to a 12″ diameter, 6″ deep container will suffice to get started. Remember the looser the roots, the taller and healthier your plant will be. When the plant becomes root bound its growth will slow, at that point it is time for a larger pot.

SOIL

Japanese Bird’s Nest Ferns enjoy humusy, organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained soil mix. Remember try to stay away from wet, mucky or dry, sandy soils.

FERTILIZER

To help establish your new Japanese Bird’s Nest Fern, fertilize sparingly at least 6 inches away from the base, tri-annually with a slow time released product. Unfertilized they will tend to grow very slowly. Note: The heavy salts in cheaper fertilizers will damage the roots and possibly kill the plant.

GROW ZONE & LIGHT

Best outdoors if grown in zone 10-11, find your zone here. This Japanese Bird’s Nest Fern requires 70-85% sunlight. Depending on your location filtered sun is best. In the northern end of their grow zone Japanese Bird’s Nest Fern plants should be brought indoors or protected during the winter months. The patio zone is 4b-9 which means the potted plant will flourish over the summer months in colder zones but must be brought inside before a hard freeze.

BEFORE YOU PLANT OUTDOORS

At the nursery these Japanese Bird’s Nest Fern plants are grown under 20-40% shade cloth. If you plant this fern in a brightly lit area you may experience leaf burn. It is best to acclimate this plant to its environment by keeping it outside and slowly moving it into a sunny area over a week or two to avoid stress before planting.

WHAT IS THE SHIPPING SIZE

All Japanese Bird’s Nest Ferns for sale will vary in size. In the spring, plants are often smaller than plants shipped in the fall. Plants designated with a sku ending in -4, -6 or -8 will arrive in a standard 4 inch, 6 inch or 8 inch round growers pot respectively. Our new, reusable, recyclable deep plugs are 7 or 9 inches deep and 2 or 2.5 inches in width. Products growing in these pots are easy to transplant and allow for deeper roots and faster growth, they are designated with a sku ending in -7 or -9. (Note: The item sku number can be found just below the buy button.) The color and style of these pots may vary. If we are out of a particular size item, we may ship a larger size at no additional charge. For more information, click the “best packaging” link at the bottom of this page.