Given the right indoor environment, they will thrive and make for a wonderfully unique houseplant. Ferns come in a wide variety of colors and textures. The Bird’s Nest Fern has large simple fronds that are tropical-like in that they resemble banana leaves.

These ferns have a slow growth rate. They’re best planted in the spring, though houseplants generally can be started year-round.

Bird’s nest ferns (Asplenium nidus) are naturally epiphytic, meaning they grow on the surface of other plants. In their rainforest homes, they can be found growing high in the crooks of trees.

They form a series of erect, spoon-shaped, bright green fronds that rise from a central rosette. Healthy plants can have fronds up to 5 feet long, but bird’s nest ferns grown as houseplants typically have fronds that grow only about 2 feet long.

The plants have a moderate growth rate. They’re best planted in the spring, though houseplants generally can be started year-round.