plant · GBIF taxon 2650676
Asplenium nidus
asplenium nidusAlso known as Nest Fern, Crow's Nest Fern
These striking epiphytic ferns grow in magnificent, bowl-shaped rosettes high in the tropical canopy, mimicking a bird's nest to trap falling leaves and rainwater. The glossy, apple-green fronds can reach up to 1.5 meters in length, unfurling from a central crown covered in dark, spongy scales. In their native rainforests, they create vital microhabitats for canopy-dwelling insects, tree frogs, and small reptiles.
EpiphyticTropicalEvergreen
- diet
- Photosynthetic (absorbs water and nutrients from debris collected in its rosette)
- family
- Aspleniaceae
- threats
- Habitat destruction, over-collection for the horticultural trade
- life Span
- Several decades (often 20 to 50 years in optimal conditions)
NE
Safe to observe and handle at a normal distance.
- Observe the center: Look closely at the bowl-like rosette where organic debris accumulates to feed the plant.
- Check the undersides: Examine the mature outer fronds for parallel brown stripes of spore-producing sori.
- Avoid touching new fronds: Refrain from handling the delicate, tightly coiled fiddleheads emerging from the center.