Asplenium australasicum

Common Name:
Bird’s Nest Fern

Description:
Asplenium australasicum, commonly known as the Bird’s Nest Fern, is a striking Australian native fern with a lush, tropical appearance, perfectly suited to shaded gardens or indoor spaces in Melbourne. This species forms a rosette of broad, arching fronds with a distinct central midrib, creating a nest-like shape that captures organic debris and moisture in the wild. Its vibrant, glossy green foliage adds a soft, textural quality to garden beds, shaded courtyards, or indoor collections. It thrives in consistently moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter, and prefers part to full shade, protected from direct sun and frost. Ideal for growing in the ground, in pots, or mounted on trees or boards, this epiphytic or terrestrial fern loves humidity and benefits from regular misting when grown indoors. Growth is active in spring and summer, with minimal maintenance required beyond removing spent fronds. A beautiful structural plant that brings instant greenery and life to shaded areas.

Form:
*Shrub - Clumping / Grass-like / Mounding
*Ground Cover (in tropical-style plantings)
*Indoor Foliage Plant

Mature Size:
*Height: 60–120 cm
*Width: 60–120 cm

Aspect:
*Part Shade
*Full Shade
*Indoors / Well lit

Flowering:
*Does not flower

Flower Colour:
*Not applicable

Key Attributes:
*Suitable for Pots
*Suitable for Indoor Use
*Australian Native
*Perennial
*Herbaceous
*Low Maintenance
*Epiphytic
*Foliage Plant
*Excellent for Tropical or Shaded Gardens
*Not frost tolerant

Toxicity:
*Non-toxic to pets and humans

Companion Plants:
*Blechnum gibbum (Miniature Tree Fern)
*Doodia aspera
*Hymenolepis crithmifolia
*Clivia miniata
*Philodendron bipinnatifidum
*Orchids (terrestrial and epiphytic types)