Plant guide
Bird's nest fern
Asplenium nidus
Bird's nest fern is considered non-toxic to cats. Keep it out of chewing reach; non-toxic does not mean edible.
Non-toxic does not mean edible. Eating plant material can still upset your cat’s stomach.
What this guide covers: Only Asplenium nidus; other ferns sold under this common name need their own identity check.
Photo:
Photo details
Asplenium nidus — NC State Extension image 38369
By Forest and Kim Starr
License: CC BY 2.0
Resized and converted to WebP for display; botanical details unchanged.
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Photo:
Photo details
Asplenium nidus — NC State Extension image 38369
By Forest and Kim Starr
License: CC BY 2.0
Resized and converted to WebP for display; botanical details unchanged.
Bird’s nest fern
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Non-toxic does not mean edible. Chewing plants can still upset your cat’s stomach.
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Look for Asplenium nidus and check the selected variety. Listings and availability can change.
Plant identity
- Scientific name
- Asplenium nidus
- Scope
- Species
- Family
- Not recorded
- Also known as
- No reviewed aliases available
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How to grow this plant
Only Asplenium nidus; other ferns sold under this common name need their own identity check.
- Light
- Bright indirect light
Bright, indirect light or light shade.
- Watering
- Keep evenly moist
Keep the root zone moist; do not let it dry out.
- Temperature
- Temperature range not yet established
60-70 F is the stated ideal range; protect from frost.
- Humidity
- Higher humidity
Provide a humid environment.
- Potting
- Rich, porous fern potting mix.
- Through the year
- Feed lightly during active growth and handle the fragile fronds gently.
Growing-guide sources
- Asplenium nidus ↗NC State Extension · Accessed 2026-10-15
Only Asplenium nidus; other ferns sold under this common name need their own identity check.
Growing advice reviewed 2026-10-16. Plant safety is assessed separately.
Reviewed safety information
- Toxic principle
- Not recorded in the reviewed evidence
- Reported signs
- Not recorded in the reviewed evidence
Missing information is unknown. It should not be interpreted as an absence of risk.
Safe alternatives
No verified alternative recommendations are available for this guide.
Sources & review
- Pet-safe plants (version 1) ↗Veterinary Poisons Information Service · Accessed
Safety last reviewed .