There are so many houseplant options when it comes to ferns, and we love the look of them all. Filling your space with ferns is a sure-fire way of turning your home into your own personal woodland, and within this one category there are so many textures and variations that we could write a whole book. We’ve stocked over 30 varieties of fern, each with their own idiosyncrasies, favourite light levels, and leaf shapes - and all with one thing in common: their love of water and moist soil. The quickest way to kill a fern you’re keeping as a houseplant is to forget about it entirely so that it dries to a crisp… but we really think it’s worth putting in the extra effort giving these plants plenty of water to keep them lush and green.
Autumn is also a good time to be investing in a few ferns; they mostly don’t mind the lower light so can go in spots too dim for other plants this time of year. Buying them in autumn will also mean they can gradually adapt to the sun if you want them brighter than where they have been; popping them closer to the window now means they’ll get used to the light as it gets stronger after the winter solstice. Greening up your home ahead of long, dark winter evenings also makes it a nicer environment to hide from the inevitable rain and sleet in. So what are you waiting for?
To give you some ideas, we’ve picked our favourite 16 ferns out of the ones we’ve stocked - plus one we haven’t - as just a taster for this diverse array of lush foliage plants. I’ve also ranked them starting with the most challenging - so keep reading to find Sprouts’ most low maintenance fern!
16. Eyelash Fern (Actiniopteris australis)
Difficulty: 20/20
Location: Terrarium
Looks: 10/10
Texture: 6/10
These tiny ferns were so adorable I couldn’t resist taking one home… where it struggled even in my damp bathroom, and when I left it without water for two whole days (!!) it completely gave up the ghost. Even my attempts at reviving it in a terrarium couldn’t salvage it. So that’s why it earns top spot for tricky fern on this list!
My experience aside, it is a gorgeous plant - and if you put a healthy specimen straight into a terrarium setup you’ll give yourself more of a chance. Jessy used a lot of them building terrariums and they looked gorgeous; they look much happier with lots of bushy foliage than when there is one frond left!
15. Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum raddianum)
Difficulty: 19/20
Looks: 8/10
Texture 9/10
The maidenhair is a well-known fern, but we do also find it challenging, earning it second place on our list. Its gorgeously lush, soft foliage is so tactile and also such a bright green that it’s a joy to have in your home - as long as it doesn’t dry out at all. We have had maidenhair ferns crisp up in the shop and our humidity is usually around 70% - so even in a bathroom you mustn’t forget about watering it. We have even known these ferns to die in self-watering pots, so beware!
That being said, they are beautiful, and when they’re happy, overflow with gorgeous foliage. My personal favourite is the ‘Bronze Venus’ variety we had in the shop earlier this year. Its new growth comes through a lovely burnished bronze colour, adding a lil splash of colour. Just don’t miss any waters or those new fronds will be the first to go…
14. Hand Fern (Doryopteris cordata)
Difficulty: 19/20
Looks: 9/10
Texture: 8/10
Another fern I have personally failed with, I tried a tiny hand fern in my bathroom and it too struggled both there and once I tried to make it into a terrarium. It did slightly better though - it currently has one living leaf! So I haven’t given up on it entirely.
Again, I’d recommend putting this one straight into a terrarium, but it can survive outside it as long as it’s somewhere humid like a bathroom. And you don’t forget to water it like I did. Its leaves are great, looking like pudgy green hands or paws on the end of each stem. The shape of the leaves makes me smile, and so even with the challenges of growing it and keeping it happy, I’d still recommend it as a beautiful little fern - especially for filling a terrarium.
13. Ribbon Fern (Pteris cretica)
Difficulty: 17/20
Looks: 10/10
Texture: 7/10
Our first variegated fern on the list and it is very pretty - but also presents another challenge in the light level it needs. Most ferns do quite well in low light, but because of the white stripes on these leaves, they need a little more light than the average fern. This creates a bit of a balancing act, between giving your plant enough light and enough water. More light means the soil dries out quicker, so more water is needed; but too much light will scorch the leaves, and not matching the light and water level correctly can parch or drown your plant.
Obviously you have to balance this with every plant, which is what makes keeping houseplants the challenge we all know and love! But it does make this plant in particular a little trickier - and has contributed to more than a few of these entering our rescue section. Despite all this, with the right balance, they are beautiful, and as long as you pay attention to your fern, you should be able to keep it happy. Hopefully…
12. Heart Fern (Hemionitis arifolia)
Difficulty: 15/20
Looks: 9/10
Texture: 8/10
These little guys seem to have been perfectly happy in the shop, but we have been keeping them in our glass cabinet so I’ve still put them in the tricky half of the list. They’re best suited to terrariums or cabinets like ours, where humidity is kept high - or a frequently-used bathroom if neither of those is available. These ferns have adorable, bubble-like, heart-shaped leaves in a very forest-deep shade of green. These cuties keep drawing my eye thanks to their shape and the friendly contour of their leaves.
Once again, I’m recommending high humidity and plenty of water; this one should be fine in low light but will thrive best if it’s light enough to read by. They’ve appreciated grow lights in the shop, so this is an option for lighting up dimmer corners too. But enough technical bits - let’s just admire the leaves and get designing our terrarium setups!
11. Blue Star Fern (Phlebodium aureum)
Difficulty: 12/20
Looks: 10/10
Texture: 9/10
The Blue Star fern is great for adding a variation in colour and texture, with its blue-green, almost velvety-looking leaves. The shape is also striking, with the leaves dividing into multiple finger-like fronds, and getting bigger as your plant grows. These plants do well in our shop, and there is even one loving life in my mum’s bathroom. They can stand higher light levels than many ferns, but still prefer the standard bright/indirect combo. It’s on the tricky side once again for that balance of light/moisture, but if you’re a chronic overwaterer this could actually be the plant for you; stick it in a spot with a splash of not-too-strong sun and it’ll love all the extra care you can give!
The look of this fern is so unique it has to be up there with our favourites. The colour, the texture, the shape of the leaves… stunning. Worth the extra effort of keeping it alive, especially if you love to water your plants plenty.
10. Asparagus Fern (Asparagus setaceus)
Difficulty: 12/20
Looks: 9/10
Texture: 10/10
These are some of the softest plants to touch, but when they get really big watch out for the spines that start to grow on their stems! This is a super wacky-looking plant which our customers looove, but that doesn’t necessarily make it easy to care for. It loves a bright area, but without much direct sun, if any. And it’s one of the saddest plants to see when dried out as it will turn brown and drop all of its tiny, fluffy leaves.
Keep its soil moist and you’ll keep it happy - and watch out for the very edges of the fronds going brown as a hint that it might want more water or higher humidity. As with many of these ferns, it’s a great shout for your bathroom or kitchen for this reason - and it looks impressive too!
9. Digit Fern (Doryopteris pedata)
Stats TBC!
This is the one that’s on our wish list, so we haven’t actually had experience looking after it yet - but hopefully we will soon! Its wacky leaves are such a striking shape, and it’s that lovely lush green of the woodland. From what we can tell, it’s broadly similar to other ferns, loving humidity, moisture and indirect light - but, like us, you’ll have to wait and see for the details! This one is definitely a ‘watch this space’ plant ;-P
8. Korean Rock Fern (Polystichum tsussimense)
Difficulty: 10/20
Looks: 6/10
Texture: 7/10
These have been quite easygoing in the shop, and we love their compact, fluffy-leaved and hardy foliage. Their fronds are filled with frills and they can even grow outdoors year-round. So if you’re struggling with this as a houseplant, you could even pot it outdoors, on a balcony or window ledge or in a garden. It doesn’t need it to be as humid as many other ferns, so might even be able to venture out of your bathroom, though it does still like moisture and will appreciate frequent waters.
We love this fern for its fluffy, almost feathery foliage - and also for the fact that it’s on the easier side of houseplant keeping!
7. Tree Maidenhair Fern (Blechnum gibbum)
Difficulty: 9/20
Looks: 8/10
Texture: 5/10
The Blechnum gibbum looks more like a palm tree than a fern, but we promise it belongs here! Its turquoise-green fronds are lush and it’s nicknamed the ‘tree fern’ because of how they grow out of the central ‘trunk’. It will also show you if it’s getting over or under-watered by the foliage turning yellow or brown. We’ve found it easier to revive these plants from under watering - and easier to prune away totally crisped leaves - because of its growth pattern being slightly different to other ferns, and its leaves slightly sturdier. Saying that, it is still quite fussy so make sure you’re keeping an eye on it for when it needs water!
We love the style, colour and growth patterns of these ferns - and appreciate that they show us when they’re unhappy. So if you’re looking for a middling-difficulty fern, this is a good one to choose.
6. Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
Difficulty: 9/20
Looks: 9/10
Texture: 9/10
There are so many varieties of Boston fern that I couldn’t list them all! My personal favourite was the variegated one we had in earlier this year, but it wasn't easy to keep it looking fabulous - these plants are thirsty! Tiny dwarf varieties like the ‘Fluffy Ruffle’ work well in terrariums, but many varieties are far too big to grow in such an enclosed space. Boston ferns like it humid and like moisture, but as long as you have those two things and are keeping an eye on them, they should be happy. One reason they are on the easier side of the list is because of their popularity: they are easy enough to find information and advice on, having been kept as houseplants for a while and by many people. It does get marked down by how tricky it is to prune when a frond does dry out though - we’ve had bits of leaf all over the shop floor before when trimming dry fronds!
The classic fern, this one is happy if you can keep it damp. We love the simplicity of its foliage, the number of different types, and ease of researching - and how straightforward it is in its needs. Mainly: water. Just don’t turn the middle of the foliage into a swamp.
5. Lemon Button Fern (Nephrolepis cordifolia)
Difficulty: 7/20
Looks: 8/10
Texture: 8/10
Another dwarf fern that does well in terrariums, we have also found the Lemon Button fern quite chill on the shop floor, with its more sturdy leaves and its fronds reaching directly up. Again, it likes moist soil and higher-than-average humidity, but as long as it’s not in a draught or near a heater, it should be able to get these and thrive in your home. I’ve also heard that if you crush the leaves they smell lemony but I haven’t been able to pick the smell out - get in touch if you’ve actually smelt this!
Cute as a button, sturdy leaves and fronds, happy with plenty of water: this is definitely getting into the easy end of ferns now.
4. Staghorn Fern (Platycerium bifurcatum / superbum)
Difficulty: 7/20
Looks: 10/10
Texture: 9/10
This has got to be one of the more unusual-looking ferns, but it can look truly fabulous! We’ve seen photos of Staghorns mounted on walls or into displays of natural wood, with moss around their roots, and they look great. They may look dusty, but this is actually an adaptation which helps them keep moist and keep the humidity around the plant nice and high - meaning it does quite well in just-above-average humidity environments.
The striking appearance of this fern puts it squarely in our favourites; the fact that it’s not very needy in the shop is an added bonus. And we would totally recommend the mounted display for a crafting activity: it’s a stunning feature for your houseplant interior decor!
3. Crocodile Fern (Microsorum musifolium)
Difficulty: 6/20
Looks: 10/10
Texture: 10/10
I love the look of this one. Honestly, it’s mostly near this end because I find it easy to notice when it needs a water as it stands out so much! Maybe I’m biased towards its fun aesthetic, but it is on the more easygoing side too. Its foliage looks like a crocodile skin pattern, but no reptiles were harmed growing it. It’s also down this end of the list because, again, its leaves are that bit thicker, making it more able to withstand a forgetful indoor gardener. But only slightly forgetful, it is still a fern. Keep the soil moist, keep away from radiators etc, and this one will be happy. And as for why to add it to your collection - well, the foliage speaks for itself!
2. Bird’s Nest Fern (Asplenium nidus)
Difficulty: 4/20
Looks: 8/10
Texture: 7/10
This fern is an unusual shape, and once again has more robust leaves. Like the crocodile fern, it is more forgiving (for a fern). You can also get a few different varieties of this plant, some with more ruffled edges or glossier foliage than others, so if you like it, you can start a whole collection! I also like watching the new fronds grow as they gradually unfurl from the centre of the plant. Forgiving of forgetfulness, you can let the top of the soil dry out; it will appreciate drowning less than some ferns so make sure you check the soil before watering.
This one has style, and is not too difficult to keep. It makes our favourites - and is the second-easiest on the list to boot!
1. Mother Fern (Asplenium parvati)
Difficulty: 2/20
Looks: 9/10
Texture: 7/10
This fern is great if you love the bushy foliage of the Boston but the waxy texture of the Bird’s Nest. It is a hybrid variety which has been bred from various fern species to make a plant that is happier in the home. It doesn’t need it to be anything more than average humidity, is happy for the top layer of soil to dry out between waters, and its foliage is salvageable when it gets a little dry. You will still need to water it fairly frequently compared to many houseplants - but it’s wayyy less thirsty than other ferns. We appreciate how this fern brings in everything we love about the needier species, whilst being much more suited to growing as a houseplant. It makes our spot as the number one easy fern, and does so with style - so next time you see one of these, take it home and watch it thrive!
Well, hopefully that run down has inspired you to try a fern - personally I think I’ll be working my way through them gradually so I don’t kill any more delicate eyelash ferns, but maybe you’re ahead of me in your fern journey.
Why not let us know your progress by tagging us in your socials - we’d especially love to see how your Sprouts ferns are doing.
And whichever one you choose: happy sprouting!
