Asplenium nidus

Common Name:
Crispy Wave Fern

Description:
The Crispy Wave Fern, a cultivated form of Asplenium nidus, is a striking, sculptural fern known for its upright, ruffled fronds that resemble green waves. Each frond is thick, glossy, and undivided, with deeply rippled margins that create a lush, vase-like rosette. This fern is particularly popular as a houseplant due to its bold, modern look and excellent air-purifying qualities. Native to tropical and subtropical rainforests, it thrives in high humidity, indirect light, and consistently moist, well-drained soil. In Melbourne, it is best grown indoors or in sheltered outdoor locations protected from frost and direct sunlight. The Crispy Wave Fern is relatively low maintenance and adapts well to bathrooms, kitchens, or shaded patios where humidity is higher. It does not flower but offers year-round interest with its vibrant green foliage and elegant form.

Form:
Shrub - Clumping / Grass-like / Mounding

Mature Size:
Height: 0.3–0.6 m
Width: 0.3–0.5 m

Aspect:
Part Shade
Full Shade
Indoors / Well lit

Flowering:
Does not flower

Flower Colour:
Does not flower

Key Attributes:
Suitable for Pots
Suitable for Indoors
Air Purifying
Herbaceous
Perennial
Low Maintenance
Good for Bathrooms and Humid Spaces

Toxicity:
Non-toxic to humans and pets.

Companion Plants:
Phlebodium aureum (Blue Star Fern)
Peperomia varieties
Fittonia (Nerve Plant)
Calathea varieties
Chlorophytum comosum (Spider Plant)
Asplenium antiquum (Bird’s Nest Fern)