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tree fern indoors

If you’re looking for an elegant and verdant focal point for your home, growing a tree fern indoors may be just the solution. These lush, prehistoric beauties bring a touch of New Zealand’s temperate forests straight to your living room, offering architectural grace with their feathered fronds and sculptural trunks. While tree ferns are commonly associated with outdoor landscapes, they can thrive indoors with the right conditions and a little know-how.

An Asplenium bulbiferum (Hen and Chicken Fern) growing in a shaded postion and displaying lush, green fronds.

Asplenium bulbiferum (Hen And Chicken Fern)

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Asplenium bulbiferum, commonly known as the Hen and Chicken Fern or Pikopiko Fern, is a popular NZ native prized for its lush, arching fronds and ability to produce baby ferns (plantlets) along the leaf edges. Ideal for shaded gardens, underplanting, or pots, it thrives in moist, well-drained soil with protection from direct sun and wind.

Suited to regions: Subtropical, Temperate
Plant type: Ferns
Height: 30 cm
Spread: 30 cm
Tolerances: Shade
Garden uses: Borders, Containers, Living areas, Parks, Paths & Steps, Ponds, Pool areas, Specimen
Garden styles: Architectural, Backyard, City & Courtyard, Frontyard, Japanese, Modern, Native, Tropical
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Did you find what you are looking for?

You might be interested in exploring related Latin Names - Albizia, Asplenium, and Daphniphyllum, or related Categories - General Garden Fertiliser, Palm Tree Fertiliser, and Ground Fern.

Search tree fern indoors

Why Grow Tree Ferns Indoors?

Inviting a tree fern indoors creates a statement piece, perfect for large, light-filled spaces or conservatories. Their soft, arching fronds create a refreshing, natural ambience and help increase humidity, benefiting other houseplants. Garden enthusiasts find particular delight in the New Zealand native Dicksonia and Cyathea varieties, which also serve as a reminder of our country’s unique botanical heritage.

Care Guide: Tree Fern Indoors

To keep your tree fern indoors happy, aim to mimic the dappled shade and moist conditions of a forest floor. Place your fern in indirect light—north-facing windows are ideal. Keep the soil consistently damp but never soggy, mist the fronds regularly, and consider a pebble tray or humidifier, especially during winter when indoor air dries out.

Choose a rich, organic potting mix and a roomy container with good drainage. Tree ferns prefer to be slightly root-bound but will need repotting every few years. Feed fortnightly during the growing season with a liquid fertiliser designed for ferns.

Common Challenges When Growing Tree Ferns Indoors

Tree ferns are sensitive to low humidity, dry air, and cold draughts. If fronds begin to brown or curl, increase humidity and keep the soil moist. Position away from heaters or air conditioning vents, which can quickly dry out both soil and foliage. Pests are uncommon but occasionally watch for scale or mealybugs.

Other Ferns for Indoor Growing

If you love the look of a tree fern indoors but have limited space, a variety of smaller ferns make equally beautiful indoor companions. Consider Rumohra adiantiformis (Leatherleaf Fern) for its robust, glossy foliage and adaptability, or the striking blue-green fronds of Phlebodium aureum Blue Star (Blue Star Fern). For compact spaces, Pellaea rotundifolia (Button Fern), Adiantum hispidulum (Rough Maidenhair Fern), and Polystichum rigens (Stiff Bears Paw Fern) are wonderful options, thriving in similar conditions with less room required.

Transform Your Indoor Oasis

Growing a tree fern indoors is a wonderful way to bring a slice of native forest into your home. With care and attention to humidity, light, and moisture, your tree fern will reward you with stunning greenery and a calming natural presence year-round. Explore our range of indoor and outdoor ferns to transform your space into an indoor oasis with genuine New Zealand character.


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Whether you need assistance finding the plant you’re looking for or you simply want to know more about who we are and what we do, we invite you to get in touch with us today. A member of The Plant Company team will get back in touch as soon as possible.

–The Plant Company

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