Mature size & growth rate

How big does Mother Fern (Asplenium bulbiferum) get?

Also called Hen and chicken fern, Pikopiko.

More about mother fern

About Mother Fern

Asplenium bulbiferum · also called Hen and chicken fern, Pikopiko · houseplant

The mother fern is prized for the tiny plantlets, or 'chicks', that form along its finely divided, lacy fronds and root where they touch soil. Native to New Zealand and Australia, it has a soft, ferny texture and likes cool, humid, shaded conditions. Its self-propagating bulbils make it easy and rewarding to multiply at home.

Mature size: Indoors around 40-60 cm tall and wide; fronds can reach 60-90 cm long in cool, humid, ideal conditions.

Indoor size vs how big it gets in the wild

Mother Fern stays fairly low but widens over time — it spreads into a bigger clump by offsets, runners or rhizomes rather than shooting upward. Indoors and in a pot, expect around 40-60 cm tall and wide. In the ground with no restriction it is a completely different plant — fronds can reach 60-90 cm long in cool, humid, ideal conditions. — which is why the pot, the light and the pruning matter so much for the size you actually end up with.

Size here is about width, not height: the plant builds an ever-wider clump or sends out plantlets and runners while staying relatively short.

Growth rate and years to mature

Mother Fern 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 every 4-6 weeks in spring and summer with a balanced liquid feed at half strength. it is a light feeder and salt-sensitive, so dilute well and pause feeding over winter when growth and plantlet production slow.

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

How to keep mother fern smaller

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

Divide the clump every year or two — splitting mother fern is the main way to control its spread and refresh it.
Remove runners, plantlets or offsets as they appear if you want it to stay a single tight clump.
Keep it slightly pot-bound; a snug pot naturally limits how wide the clump can get.

The keep-it-smaller method, step by step

Lift the whole plant. Slide mother fern out of its pot in spring when the clump has filled it.
Split the clump. Tease or cut the rootball into two or more sections, each with healthy roots and growth.
Repot one division. Put a single division back in the original pot to reset it to a smaller size; pot or give away the rest.
Remove offsets as they form. Through the year, detach new runners or pups to stop it spreading again.

How to grow mother fern bigger or faster

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

Give it a wider pot and let the clump fill it — width is exactly how this plant gets bigger.
Brighter light speeds up clump and offset production noticeably.
Leave plantlets and offsets attached and feed through the growing season for the fastest spread.

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

When mother fern outgrows the room (or the pot)

"Too big" usually arrives as one of these signs for mother fern:

The clump bulging over the pot rim or splitting the pot — the cue to divide, not to find a bigger room.
A dense centre that goes bare or tired while the edges keep spreading.
Runners or offsets escaping across the shelf or into neighbouring pots.

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

Mother Fern size — frequently asked questions

How big does mother fern get?

Mother Fern reaches around 40-60 cm tall and wide when grown indoors, and far larger where it grows unrestricted (fronds can reach 60-90 cm long in cool, humid, ideal conditions.). Size here is about width, not height: the plant builds an ever-wider clump or sends out plantlets and runners while staying relatively short.

Is mother fern slow or fast growing?

Mother Fern is a moderate grower. Expect three to six years to reach mature indoor size, gaining a steady amount each growing season. Mother Fern stays fairly low but widens over time — it spreads into a bigger clump by offsets, runners or rhizomes rather than shooting upward.

How long does mother fern 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 mother fern smaller?

Divide the clump every year or two — splitting mother fern is the main way to control its spread and refresh it. Remove runners, plantlets or offsets as they appear if you want it to stay a single tight clump. Keep it slightly pot-bound; a snug pot naturally limits how wide the clump can get.

How can I make mother fern grow bigger or faster?

Give it a wider pot and let the clump fill it — width is exactly how this plant gets bigger. Brighter light speeds up clump and offset production noticeably. Leave plantlets and offsets attached and feed through the growing season for the fastest spread.