Ferns

Live Ferns for Lush, Textured Greenery Indoors & Out

Ferns bring a texture to a space that few other plants can replicate — soft, finely divided fronds that read as lush and a little wild, even when grown in a controlled, indoor setting. Our fern collection spans outdoor garden varieties, indoor tropical specimens, and even aquatic ferns for planted aquariums, making it one of our most diverse single-category collections.

Outdoor Garden Ferns

For shaded garden beds, the Japanese Painted Fern brings soft, silvery-green fronds specifically suited to shade, where many flowering plants struggle to perform. The Cinnamon Fern shares that shade tolerance, while the Ostrich Fern prefers indirect light and brings a larger, more dramatic frond size well suited to woodland-style garden beds. All three are rated for outdoor zones in the moderate 4 through 9 range, making them workable across a broad swath of temperate climates.

Indoor Tropical Ferns

Indoors, the Australian Tree Fern offers a substantial, almost architectural presence, with a trunk-like base supporting full, arching fronds. The Maidenhair Fern brings a much more delicate look, with fine, lacy foliage that's prized for its texture but known for needing more consistent humidity and moisture than hardier indoor plants. The Bird's Nest 'Leslie' Fern takes a different approach entirely, with broad, rippled, undivided fronds rather than the classic feathery fern look — a good option if you want fern-family foliage with a bolder, simpler leaf shape. The Fern 'Tricolor Pteris' and Austral Gem Fern round out the collection with their own takes on patterned and textured indoor fern foliage, while the Cotton Candy Fern and Fern 'Kangaroo Paw' bring additional texture variety for indoor growers building out a fern-focused display.

Aquatic Ferns

For aquarium enthusiasts, Java Fern (Microsorum pteropus) and its 'Windelov' variety are popular choices for planted tanks, grown fully submerged rather than in soil. The Microsorum Pteropus Java Fern Mat offers a pre-attached mat format, useful for quickly establishing fern coverage on aquarium hardscape without waiting for a smaller plant to attach and spread on its own.

Growing Conditions

Light and moisture needs vary considerably across this collection depending on whether a fern is suited to outdoor shade, indoor display, or aquatic growing. Most outdoor garden ferns prefer shade or indirect light, while indoor varieties like the Maidenhair Fern and Bird's Nest Fern generally do best in indirect light combined with consistent moisture and higher humidity than a typical room provides.

Why Ferns Ask for More Humidity Than Most Houseplants

Ferns as a family evolved in humid, often shaded forest floor conditions, which is why so many indoor varieties struggle in the drier air typical of heated or air-conditioned homes. Grouping ferns together, using a pebble tray, or placing them in naturally humid rooms like a bathroom can help bridge that gap between typical indoor humidity and what ferns actually prefer.

Texture for Every Setting

Whether you're filling a shaded garden bed, adding lush texture to an indoor room, or building out a planted aquarium, this fern collection offers genuine variety across very different growing environments, all sharing that same soft, textured appeal that sets ferns apart from typical broad-leafed foliage plants.