How long do bird nest ferns (Asplenium sp) live? I have one that I collected in 2001 from a cliff when I was rock climbing with a friend, would have only been about an inch tall back then. In hind sight I should have left it where it was, but I was a lot younger back then.
It has moved house with me many times, the fronds reached over 6 foot long once but are now considerably shorter, somewhere between 1 and 2 foot long fronds now.
My fern is looking rather bad at the moment and I am wondering if it is declining from old age or if it still has a few good years left?
I don’t know for sure if it applies to ferns, but I think the current science of plants is suggesting plants don’t really due of old age. Usually something kills them like disease, pests, or their own size (big trees get too heavy and fall over).
Try refreshing the soil? They prefer pure water being epiphytes, so salt build up can be problem.
I don’t know how long they live, but you might collect spores and make new plants. I’m trying it for the first time with one of my ferns. Not difficult, but it’s a slow process.
We had a few days of rain last week so I moved the pot out to flush it out. I haven’t done this in a few years. The pot was incredibly light. Apparently there was not much soil left in there.
I last repotted it about 10 years ago, so today I filled up the pot with leaf litter/soil.
I also collected and sowed spores today. I will let you know in a few months if I was successful.
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