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Bird's Nest Fern

16 years ago

I am looking at mounting a Bird's Nest Ferm (Asplenium Australasicum) on a cliff face in my yard. The rock face is steep and the plant will need to be initially held to the rock - due to the height physical constraints are out of the question. I have had a lot of success using PVA glue to attach Denbrobium rock orchids to rocks and would like to know what experince other people have had with attaching Bird's Nest Ferns to rocks. Thanks. Tony.

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Comments (3)

gregaryb
16 years ago
Bird's Nest Ferns are not to my knowledge lytophytic and I would surprised if they lasted long term directly attached to a rock face.

I think you would be better off puting them in a hollowed out tree fern trunk and then attaching that to the rock face.
tonyw
Original Author
16 years ago
Hi Greg, thanks for the reply.

According to Wrigley & Fagg Asplenium austalascium is both lithophytic and epiphytic. My inspiration for attaching the fern to the rock is from visiting the Joseph Banks Native Garden here in the Shire and seeing many Birds Nest ferns attached to rocks. If the plant dies I'm only $6 out of pocket.
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Thanks all. I knew when I bought it at at the old Nursery/pharmacy in Oakland that it was a different type of Birds nest. For one thing,it was a deeper green,and the fronds were just larger than the type at the same size pot (6") I saw for sale at Home Depot and elsewhere. There is one called A.musifolium...this has that look. But,will never know for sure.
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gardenlen
16 years ago
g'day tony,

yep they grow anywhere and everywhere in nature, i have heard of growers of some plants using that liquid nails stuff, one brom grower uses it to attach those small variety brom seedling to bits of drift wood etc.,. you know the ones you see in nurseries etc.,?

you would most likley need to cut the plant(s) in 1/2 so you create a flat side (division like this quiet common for creating extra plants, as the fern will always want to return to its round shape. maybe even then attach it to a piece of flat timber then glue the timber to the rock?? might need to have a drier root ball and also remove all mature/ing fronds to ease weight burden.

anyhow keep us informed.

len

Here is a link that might be useful: len's garden page

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