Fishbone Fern (Plumosa Fern) care

Light

Picture the indirect light an east-facing window gives mid-morning — that's the brightness fishbone fern grows fastest in. Medium to bright indirect light. It copes with lower light better than most ferns but grows fullest in a bright spot out of direct sun, which scorches the fronds. You'll know it's right when new leaves come out the same size and colour as the established ones. Smaller, paler new leaves = move closer to the window.

Watering

Aim for water when the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 5-7 days in growth for fishbone fern, but treat that as a starting point rather than a rule. A south-facing summer windowsill will dry the pot twice as fast as a north-facing winter room. Lift the pot; if it feels noticeably lighter than it did wet, water it. Keep the soil consistently lightly moist; this fern dislikes drying out fully, which causes leaflet drop, yet it is more drought-forgiving than feathery Boston ferns. Reduce watering in winter and never leave it standing in water.

Soil and pot

Fishbone Fern grows best in rich, well-draining, peat-free potting mix. A fertile, moisture-retentive but free-draining mix with coir, bark, and perlite suits it. It is vigorous and root-hardy, often forming small storage tubers, so it copes with most general houseplant soils. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Fishbone Fern sits happiest at around 50-70% humidity and 16-24°C (60-75°F). Prefers moderate to high humidity for lush fronds but tolerates average indoor air better than many ferns. Higher humidity reduces brown tips; a pebble tray or grouping plants helps. If you keep the room above 16 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed fishbone fern sparingly. Feed every 4 weeks through spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertiliser at half strength; stop in winter. A vigorous grower, it responds well to regular light feeding but is sensitive to salt buildup, so flush the soil occasionally. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on fishbone fern in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Leaflet drop / shedding — Usually from the soil drying out too far or low humidity. Keep the mix evenly moist and raise humidity; some shedding of old fronds is normal.
• Brown, crispy frond tips — Dry air, under-watering, or salt buildup. Increase humidity, water more consistently, and flush the soil periodically.
• Invasive spreading outdoors — By runners and tubers it can escape and become weedy in warm climates. Keep it contained in a pot in regions where it is invasive.
• Yellowing fronds — Overwatering and soggy roots, or too little light. Improve drainage, let the surface dry between waterings, and move to brighter indirect light.

Propagation

Easiest by division: lift the clump and separate rooted sections or pot up the small plantlets and tubers along the runners, each into moist mix. It spreads so readily that division is the standard method; spore propagation is possible but unnecessary. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Fishbone Fern is pet-safe. Nephrolepis cordifolia is listed by the ASPCA as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses (the same species is sold as the ASPCA-listed Duffii/lemon button fern). It carries no toxic principle, though eating a lot may cause mild, temporary stomach upset. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Fishbone Fern deep-dive guides

Every aspect of fishbone fern care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Fishbone Fern watering schedule
• Fishbone Fern light requirements
• Best soil mix for fishbone fern
• Fishbone Fern fertilizing guide
• When to repot fishbone fern
• How to propagate fishbone fern
• Fishbone Fern growth rate & size
• Fishbone Fern cold hardiness
• Fishbone Fern temperature & humidity
• Is fishbone fern toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is fishbone fern toxic to cats?
• Is fishbone fern toxic to dogs?

Featured in these plant shortlists

Fishbone Fern qualifies for 13 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best pet-safe houseplants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — every one verified against the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.
• Best low-light houseplants — Houseplants that need no direct sun and cope with a north-facing room or a spot well back from a window.
• Best plants for a north-facing window — Houseplants for a north-facing window: bright, even, indirect light and no scorching direct sun. Each pick verified against its documented light needs.
• Best pet-safe low-light plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs AND happy with no direct sun — the two hardest constraints to satisfy at once.
• Best drought-tolerant houseplants — Houseplants that prefer to dry out — forgiving of forgotten watering and ideal for travel or busy weeks.
• Best houseplants for beginners — Forgiving of irregular light and watering — the houseplants least likely to die in a new plant parent’s first season.
• Best humidity-loving houseplants — Houseplants that thrive in a bathroom, kitchen, or by a humidifier — selected by documented humidity preference.
• Best bathroom plants — Humidity-loving houseplants that also cope with lower light — suited to the steamy, often-dim conditions of a typical bathroom.
• Best pet-safe low-maintenance plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and forgiving of forgotten watering — the easiest safe choices for a busy pet household.
• Best pet-safe bathroom plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in the humid, lower-light conditions of a bathroom — safe greenery for the smallest room.
• Best pet-safe bedroom plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in lower light — calming greenery for a bedroom where a pet often sleeps too.
• Best cat-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats (and dogs) — safe greenery for a home with a curious cat.
• Best dog-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to dogs (and cats) — safe greenery for a home with a curious dog.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Fishbone Fern is also commonly called Fishbone Fern or Plumosa Fern.

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