Mature size & growth rate

How big does Drooping Spleenwort (Asplenium flaccidum) get?

Also called Drooping Spleenwort, Weeping Spleenwort.

More about drooping spleenwort

About Drooping Spleenwort

Asplenium flaccidum · also called Drooping Spleenwort, Weeping Spleenwort · houseplant

Asplenium flaccidum is a graceful, pendulous fern native to New Zealand, Australia, and the Pacific, producing soft, drooping pinnate fronds that hang elegantly — ideal for hanging baskets or elevated shelves. As an epiphytic or lithophytic species it is adapted to excellent drainage and good air movement. It suits humid, cool-to-intermediate indoor spaces.

Mature size: Fronds 30–80 cm long; plant spread 40–70 cm

Watch for — Sluggish growth in winter: Growth slows markedly in cool, low-light winter conditions. This is natural. Reduce watering frequency and stop feeding until spring. Providing supplemental grow lighting in winter can maintain moderate growth through the season.

Indoor size vs how big it gets in the wild

Drooping Spleenwort grows into a room-scaled plant of roughly fronds 30–80 cm long — bigger than a tabletop plant, but not a tree. Indoors and in a pot, expect fronds 30–80 cm long. In the ground with no restriction it is a completely different plant — plant spread 40–70 cm — which is why the pot, the light and the pruning matter so much for the size you actually end up with.

It builds steadily in both height and spread to a medium, manageable size, filling a pot and a corner over a few years.

Growth rate and years to mature

Drooping Spleenwort is a moderate grower. Realistically, expect three to six years to reach mature indoor size, gaining a steady amount each growing season. Its feeding profile backs this up: feed monthly during spring and summer with a half-strength balanced liquid fertiliser. as an epiphyte it is accustomed to low nutrient levels — over-feeding causes leaf burn and salt accumulation. no feeding in autumn and winter.

Want this turned into the right next pot at the right moment? The pot size calculator and the drooping spleenwort repotting guide cover when and how much to size up — pot size is one of the biggest levers on how fast drooping spleenwort grows.

How to keep drooping spleenwort smaller

You are not stuck with the maximum size. For drooping spleenwort specifically, these are the levers, in order of impact:

Prune the tallest or longest growth back to a node to hold drooping spleenwort at the size you want.
Keep it slightly pot-bound and feed sparingly to cap the overall size.
Remove the largest or oldest leaves to keep the footprint in check.

How to grow drooping spleenwort bigger or faster

If you want it to fill the space sooner, push the conditions rather than hoping — for drooping spleenwort the accelerators are:

Brighter indirect light is the single biggest growth lever here.
Pot up a size every year or two while it is establishing.
Feed and water consistently through the growing season for steady, faster size gain.

Light is almost always the ceiling. The drooping spleenwort light requirements page covers exactly how bright a spot it needs to grow at its potential instead of stalling.

When drooping spleenwort outgrows the room (or the pot)

"Too big" usually arrives as one of these signs for drooping spleenwort:

It crowds the shelf or corner it lives in and starts leaning for light.
Roots circling the pot base or escaping the drainage holes.
It needs a noticeably bigger pot every year — a sign to pot up, divide, or prune.

If it is the pot rather than the room, it is a repotting job, not a goodbye — see the drooping spleenwort repotting guide. If you want more of this plant instead of a bigger one, the drooping spleenwort propagation guide turns prunings into new plants.

Drooping Spleenwort size — frequently asked questions

How big does drooping spleenwort get?

Drooping Spleenwort reaches fronds 30–80 cm long when grown indoors, and far larger where it grows unrestricted (plant spread 40–70 cm). It builds steadily in both height and spread to a medium, manageable size, filling a pot and a corner over a few years.

Is drooping spleenwort slow or fast growing?

Drooping Spleenwort is a moderate grower. Expect three to six years to reach mature indoor size, gaining a steady amount each growing season. Drooping Spleenwort grows into a room-scaled plant of roughly fronds 30–80 cm long — bigger than a tabletop plant, but not a tree.

How long does drooping spleenwort take to reach full size?

Roughly three to six years to reach mature indoor size, gaining a steady amount each growing season. Light, pot size and feeding move that timeline more than anything else.

How do I keep drooping spleenwort smaller?

Prune the tallest or longest growth back to a node to hold drooping spleenwort at the size you want. Keep it slightly pot-bound and feed sparingly to cap the overall size. Remove the largest or oldest leaves to keep the footprint in check.

How can I make drooping spleenwort grow bigger or faster?

Brighter indirect light is the single biggest growth lever here. Pot up a size every year or two while it is establishing. Feed and water consistently through the growing season for steady, faster size gain.