7 Types of Indoor Ferns With Pictures

Which Indoor Ferns Work Best as Houseplants?

Certain indoor ferns work better as indoor plants and can adapt to household humidity. I have two Boston ferns, a Bird’s Nest fern, a Staghorn fern, a Rabbit’s Foot fern, and even a Maidenhair fern, and they’re all thriving beautifully.

But I would have to say that the Rabbit’s foot fern is probably my favorite houseplant fern and the easiest one to grow because it has a way of storing water to adapt. The Staghorn fern is also fun because it doesn’t need to be too moist.

Types of Indoor Ferns

1. Boston Fern

Boston Fern (Nephrolepsis exalta) was a popular Victorian parlor plant. Every house had at least one. Their graceful arching fronds practically cry out to be touched—but don’t do it! They are tender and will turn brown if overly handled. 

• Bostons are fast growers, so your plant must be divided yearly. If the roots are too densely packed, the center of the plant will die. When dividing, toss the dead center and divide and repot the living outer sections. Cut the foliage to the soil line, and fresh, new growth will soon appear.
• Remember, ferns need high humidity (50 to 80%), so keep the soil moist and never let them dry out. It helps to mist the leaves, too. Place near kitchens and bathrooms for higher humidity or set on a tray of wet pebbles.
• Bostons don’t produce spores; they propagate by runners instead. You can root these runners to start more plants.
• There are many new cultivars of Boston ferns that have wavy, curly, or twisted fronds. ‘Medusa’ has divided arching fronds. ‘Orlando’ is called a sword fern because of its upright fronds. ‘Fluffy Ruffle’ is a dwarf Boston, under 12 inches tall, with finely divided, double-leaved fronds. Dwarf ‘Sassy’ is small enough to fit in the tiniest apartment and the fronds on ‘Mini-Ruffle’ grow only 6-8 inches long.

2. Bird’s Nest Fern

Bird’s Nest Fern (Asplenium nidus) is not ferny-looking at all, with its thick, glossy, lance-shaped leaves sporting wavy edges that whorl around the center of the plant—forming the “nest.” Native to Hawaii, they are epiphytes, growing on the branches of trees where they catch rainwater and organic matter in the center of the “nest.” Fronds can grow up to two feet long.

3. Staghorn Fern

• Staghorn Fern (Platycerium bifurcatum) is another epiphyte. Native to Australia, it grows on the bark or in the branches of trees. It can be grown in a container but is usually displayed on a piece of wood or bark with the roots wrapped in sphagnum moss.
• Staghorns have two types of leaves: the tough, green-lobed leaves, which resemble antlers, and the flat, papery brown basal leaves, which anchor the plant.
• The tough leaves don’t seem too bothered by the lack of humidity like other ferns. To water, take your staghorn to the shower or tub and thoroughly soak it. Let it drain before rehanging.
• Since they are not grown in soil, staghorns will need a monthly feeding with half-strength fertilizer. Established plants produce “pups” that can be cut off the parent plant and rooted in moss.

4. Rabbit’s Foot Fern

Rabbit’s Foot Fern ( Davallia fejeensis) is my favorite fern. It has long, dark green, lacy fronds, and fuzzy gray-brown rhizomes that creep over the soil and out over the edge of the pot. Very cool!

• Mine spends summers on the shady screened porch and winters indoors in a north window. I keep the soil barely moist and only feed it twice a year.
• The Rabbit’s Foot fern is adaptable as a houseplant because the rhizomes (the “rabbit’s feet”) can store water during dry spells.

Rabbit’s foot is one fern that likes to be potbound and I have not repotted mine in years. If a piece of the rhizome breaks off when you are repotting, pin it down on moist soil and it will eventually root and start sending out fronds.

Other “footed” ferns grow from hairy rhizomes, including deer foot, kangaroo paw, caterpillar fern, bear paw, and squirrel foot. 

5. Maidenhair Fern

Graceful and delicate in appearance, this fern features tiny leaflets cascading along black wirelike stems. The southern maidenhair has extremely delicate fronts, and the fan maidenhair has fan-shaped leaflets.

If you’re a true houseplant lover or you tend to overwater plants, the Maidenhair fern is your friend! They just need a little more TLC and will be your best plant friends if you water them regularly and give them a couple of daily mistings when you walk by. They prefer the light of a north window with bright filtered light and high humidity.

By keeping a pebble tray under your Maindenhair, she should do fine. Also, don’t forget to buy a cheap moisture meter for all your houseplants.  Then you make ensure their soil is moist but not too wet before you water again.

6. Kangaroo Fern

Also called kangaroo paw fern, this dark evergreen fern has dark green, glossy fronds. They resemble a kangaroo footprint and are, not surprisingly, native to Australia and New Zealand. The fern spreads by furry rhizomes and looks great in a pot or trailing from hanging baskets. 

They thrive in bright, north-facing windows or any location with medium to bright indirect light. Keep the soil moist, not wet.

7. Tricolor Fern

Looking for a color other than green? How about the Tricolor fern (Pteris quadriaurita tricolor), which has bronze-red new growth?  Variegated Brake Fern (Pteris ‘Albolineata’) has long, narrow fronds variegated with silvery white. Silver Lace Fern (Pteris ensiformis) has finely cut fronds with white centers.

Caring for Ferns

Ferns are spectacular plants in the shade garden, but they also make for great houseplants. Their soothing greenery adds a bit of yin to our yang. To ensure success with ferns, remember that most are native to tropical regions where they grow as understory plants.

• They need warm temperatures and will be scorched by direct sun. Most do best in an east or north window. Also, grow them in the bathroom or over the kitchen sink where the air is moist.
• They love high humidity. Plant them in potting soil high in organic matter, keeping the soil evenly moist but not soggy, and water using room temperature water. If they are kept too dry, the edges of the fern’s fronds will turn brown and crispy! Chlorinated water will also cause brown leaves.
• Buy a cheap water monitor to stick in the soil and water when needed! Droopy yellow leaves are often a sign that the plant needs more humidity. To add moisture to the air, try growing the plants on a pebble tray, misting the foliage often, or adding a humidifier to the room.
• Ferns aren’t heavy feeders. Give them a half-strength dose of balanced houseplant fertilizer during active growth. Usually twice a year does it, once in spring and again in midsummer.

Learn all about caring for ferns indoors—and how to decorate with ferns!