Yes, a bird nest fern bathroom spot is one of the better homes you can give this plant, as long as the room stays bright and warm. The steady bathroom humidity from your showers matches what the fern wants, so its fronds stay full and green instead of crisping at the tips. You get a happier plant with less daily fuss.
The mirror over my sink fogs after a hot shower, and the air turns warm and damp. My own Crispy Wave fern sits on the ledge by the north-facing window, and I noticed its rippled fronds bead up with steam. Tiny drops cling to the edges and slide down the leaves. The plant looks best right after a long shower, with the fronds glossy and full.
That damp air is the whole point for you. This fern is a tropical plant that pulls moisture from the air around it, and a bathroom holds that moisture far better than your dry living room. Steady humidity keeps the thin frond edges from drying out and going brown and crisp on you.
In a normal room your air dries out fast, and you have to mist the plant or set it on a pebble tray to keep up. A bathroom does that work for you. Each shower bumps the moisture back up, so your fern gets the soft, damp air it would have in its native forest. You can skip a lot of the misting you would do elsewhere.
Steady damp air also lets you ease off on watering, but you still need to water with care. Pour at the soil edge, never into the central rosette in the middle of the plant. Water sitting in that cup can rot the crown over time. Let the top inch of soil dry, then water the edge until it runs from the pot.
Feed your fern once a month in spring and summer at half the strength the label tells you. The damp bathroom air does most of the heavy lifting, so this plant grows on light, steady care more than big feedings. Skip the food in winter when growth slows down. As a bonus, this fern is non-toxic to pets, so a curious cat or dog by the tub is no worry.
Warmth and light still matter, though. Humidity alone will not keep your fern alive in a cold, dark room. Here is the part most people miss when they tuck a plant into the bathroom and forget about it.
A windowless or dim bathroom is too dark for this fern. The room needs natural light or a steady grow light, and it must stay warm at 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (16 to 21 degrees Celsius).
Give your fern bright indirect light, never direct sun through the glass. Direct rays scorch the fronds and leave pale, burnt patches. A north or east window gives soft, even light all day instead. If your bathroom has no window, a small grow light on a timer will do the job and keep your fern growing.
Put the plant near the brightest part of the room, up on a ledge or shelf rather than down on the cold floor. Floor tile runs colder than the air, and chilly roots stress this warm-weather fern. A little height also lifts the fronds closer to your window and the steam, so you get the best of both light and moisture.
Watch the window itself in winter. A drafty pane lets cold air pour in at night, and a cold draft can brown your fronds fast even with all that bathroom humidity around. Move the pot a foot back from the glass when the weather turns, and keep it away from the heating vent too. Check the soil and let the top inch dry before you water again. Get the light and warmth right, and your bathroom becomes one of the easiest spots in the house to grow this fern.
Read the full article: Bird Nest Fern Care: Complete Grow Guide
