10 Fabulous ferns for your home
& how to care for them
We love ferns. There are so many different kinds and each one has its own charm! Take a look at our favourite ten ferns below and find the right fern for your home.
Take a look at the blue star fern, maidenhair fern, Boston fern, staghorn fern, brake fern, fluffy ruffles fern, asparagus fern, hare's foot fern, bird's nest fern, & heart leaf fern. Find out how to care for these ferns in our helpful article below.
Blue Star Fern
(Phlebodium aureum)
A show-stopper, the blue star fern gets its name from its unique blue-green colour and the shape of its long fronds that unroll as they grow. Although the blue star fern loves humidity, it will grow just fine in your home even without misting.
How do I care for my Blue Star Fern?
Keep your blue star fern moist, but not soggy. Water it when the top of the soil starts to get dry. Fertilize your fern during growing months. It enjoys bright, indirect light—so don't place it in direct sun. The blue star fern likes chunky soil with lots of air for the roots. Make sure you use a pot with good drainage as well.
Maidenhair Fern
(Adiantum raddianum)
Delicate and ethereal, the maidenhair fern grows in draping fronds of soft, light colours. This beautiful houseplant is a bit picky, but with the right care it will grow tall and lovely.
Caring for your maidenhair fern:
Misting your maidenhair fern is half the battle—as this tropical loves humidity. Don't let your maidenhair fern dry out too much, but keep the soil evenly moist. Fertilizer every two-four weeks, especially during the growing season, will keep your maidenhair fern healthy. The delicate fronds of this fern need tender but bright light. Dappled light is best, but as long as the sun isn't directly burning the leaves, your fern will be happy.
If your maidenhair's fronds are yellow than that could mean overwatering or too much light. If the leaves are brown, then that can mean underwatering and too much direct sun.
Boston Fern
(Nephrolepis exaltata)
A classic! The Boston fern is a favourite for a reason—it's easy to care for and looks amazing.
How to Care for a Boston Fern
Give your Boston fern bright light, but not direct sun rays that could burn the fronds. Once you find a good spot, it's best to leave your fern there, as these tropical houseplants don't tolerate change well. Stay away from drafts and any changes in temperatures.
Keep the soil of your Boston fern moist, not allowing it to dry out too much between waterings, otherwise you'll get brown, dry, fronds. Use a pot with good drainage or you may end up with root rot or yellow, soft, foliage. Boston ferns don't need a lot of fertilizer, so keep it light. These plants do love misting, though, so go ahead and mist daily!
Staghorn Fern
(Platycerium)
One of the strangest ferns in our list, the staghorn fern is also one of the most popular. With long, antler-like fronds in deep green, this gorgeous and dramatic houseplant can grow quite large. Because it is used to growing on the sides of trees, it can absorb moisture through it's fronds as well as roots! Be sure to mist your staghorn fern often, to keep it happy and healthy.
Keep the soil moist, but not soggy, with a well draining pot. (You can also mount your plant on wood or other materials, but then you need to submerse the plant for five minutes in order to water it weekly.) Fertilize your tropical fern weekly, especially during the growing season. Give your staghorn fern the brightest light you can without putting it in direct sunbeams that will scorch the fronds.
Brake Fern
(Pteris)
This type of fern has a lot of different varieties, from the painted brake fern (with red and brown fronds), to the variegated Cretan brake fern, these are easy to care for and unique houseplants for your home.
Caring for Your Brake Fern
A classic fern, the brake fern likes to stay moist, so don't let it dry out too much between waterings. This fern also likes mistings, like most ferns, and will grow well in indirect, bright light—but not direct sun rays. Keep them warm and out of cold drafts and your brake fern will be happy and healthy!
Fluffy Ruffles
(Nephrolepis)
As adorable as its name, the fluffy ruffles has thick foliage of bright green with tightly-packed fronds. It is easy to care for and makes a beautiful, small, houseplant!
Caring for Fluffy Ruffles
As with most ferns, keep the soil moist and don't let it dry out between waterings. Use a well-draining pot so that the roots don't get soggy. Keep your fluffy ruffles in bright light, but avoid direct, hot sunlight. This fern especially likes humidity, so mist it daily if you can!
Asparagus Fern
(Asparagus densiflorus)
Soft and delicate, the asparagus fern comes in a few varieties—but all of them have feathery-cladodes that make them a beautiful choice for your home. Although it isn't a true fern, the common name has stuck and it is well known as an asparagus fern rather than a relative of the actual asparagus plant.
Caring for an Asparagus Fern
Keep your plant in bright light (without direct sunlight which can harm the cladodes), and keep the soil moist. Use a pot with a hole so that the water can drain out and not stay soggy. Mist your asparagus fern daily to keep the humidity high. As well, don't allow your plant to get in cold drafts or cold temperatures as this will cause it to drop its cladodes quickly.
Hare's Foot Fern
(Davallia)
Some plant-owners think this plant looks creepy, others think it looks cute. Called by many names, the hare's foot fern is also known as; rabbit's foot fern, squirrel's foot fern, bear's foot fern, shinobu fern, ball fern, or the tarantula fern. There are a number of different Davallia varieties and it can be hard to tell them apart! But all of them have the very unique rhizomes that grow outside of the pot (or surrounding a moss ball or piece of wood that the plant can be mounted on) and curl around the base of the plant. The fern fronds actually grow out of the rhizomes!
Caring for Your Hare's Foot Fern:
Let the fuzzy rhizomes grow outside of the soil, rather than burying them. Mist them, and the fronds, daily to keep the humidity levels high. Give this plant dappled light or even part shade. Keep the soil moist without letting it get soggy. You can fertilize your fern every two to three weeks.
Bird's Nest Fern
(Asplenium nidus)
With dramatic and clean-cut fronds, the bird's nest fern is a great addition to your collection. The fronds will get slightly wavy if you give it enough indirect sunlight!
Bird's Nest Fern Care:
Although this fern prefers bright, indirect light, it will grow in part shade. Keep the soil moist but not soggy, and always make sure the roots aren't sitting in water or it could get root rot. Mist your fern daily and keep it out of cold drafts.
Heart Leaf Fern
(Hemionitis arifolia)
Also known as tongue fern, the heart leaf fern is a smaller plant that grows close to the ground and doesn't have long fronds. Unique and beautiful, this fern has heart-shaped leaves and grows slowly.
Caring for your Heart Leaf Fern
This fern grows in humid places in the wild, so it loves to stay moist with misting and also consistently moist soil. This fern does well in a terrarium where the air stays quite humid and the temperatures are warm in the day and cooler at night. Bright, but not direct sunlight, is best and this plant will grow in slight shade as well. The heart leaf fern doesn't need a lot of feeding, so keep the fertilizing to once a month.