Cobra Fern Trio (Asplenium nidus 'Cobra'), Three Bird's Nest Ferns Planted in a 10 inch Handmade Ceramic Bowl from Vietnam
Asplenium nidus 'Cobra' · Bird's nest fern
- 30-day returnsNot happy with your plant? Bring it back within 30 days for an exchange or a refund.
- Pickup or free deliveryPick it up at our Kitsilano store, or we deliver free to Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby. For delivery, we contact you after you pay to arrange a time.
Three Cobra ferns, already planted together in a handmade terracotta-orange bowl and finished with river pebbles. Set it on a table and it's ready to enjoy, with simple care from there. A gift for someone who likes plants, delivered free in the Vancouver area.
- Three Cobra ferns in one bowl, with glossy fronds that twist and ripple and reach out past the rim, so it fills a table or a wide shelf nicely.
- Already planted by us in a quality organic soil mix, in a handmade ceramic bowl from Vietnam, 10 in across and 5.5 in tall. No repotting, and no feeding for the first six months.
- Happy in medium light and best in bright, indirect light, so it doesn't need a sunny window. Keep it out of direct sun.
- Free pickup at our Kitsilano store, or free delivery to Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby. You can send it straight to someone as a gift.
- Planted in a 10 in handmade bowl
- Three ferns in one bowl
- Pickup or free delivery
- Medium to bright light
Sending it as a gift?
- It arrives already planted in its handmade ceramic pot. Nothing for them to repot.
- Enter their address in Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Richmond or Burnaby as the delivery address. You can place the order from anywhere. We deliver only to these five cities.
- The receipt comes to your email only, and we email you when it has been delivered.
- After you pay, we email you, not them, to confirm the delivery day. Write your gift message, and whether it is a surprise, in the notes at checkout.
- Not sure which plant suits them? Send a gift card and let them choose at our Kitsilano shop.
- Not for a home with cats or dogs that chew plants. For a home with cats or dogs, see our Money Tree.
Pick it up at our Kitsilano store any time we're open, 11:00 am to 6:30 pm, seven days a week. It's already planted, so you can come in as soon as you order. Or choose free delivery to Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby, and we contact you after you pay to arrange a time.
What you get
- Three Cobra ferns (Asplenium nidus 'Cobra') planted together in a quality organic soil mix.
- The handmade ceramic bowl from Vietnam, 10 in (25 cm) across and 5.5 in (14 cm) tall, with a plain, slightly glossy terracotta-orange glaze. The top is finished with natural river pebbles. No saucer is included.
- It's ready as it is. Pick it up at our shop, or we deliver it free to your door, or to the person you're giving it to, in our delivery area.
Size and details
| Plant | Three Cobra ferns, Asplenium nidus 'Cobra' (bird's nest fern), planted together |
|---|---|
| Pot | Handmade ceramic bowl from Vietnam, plain terracotta-orange glaze, 10 in (25 cm) across, 5.5 in (14 cm) tall (included) |
| Saucer | Not included |
| Size | The fronds reach out past the rim of the bowl. Not measured yet. Ask us and we'll measure one for your spot |
| Soil | Already planted in a quality organic soil mix, topped with natural river pebbles |
| Light | Medium to bright, indirect light, no direct sun |
| Water | Check the soil deeper down first, then water slowly, in small amounts, around the edge of the bowl. Keep water out of the centre of each fern |
| Feeding | None needed for the first six months |
| Pickup and delivery | Pick up at our Kitsilano store, or free delivery to Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby |
About this plant
This is a bowl of three Cobra ferns, planted together and ready to go. A Cobra fern is a form of bird's nest fern (Asplenium nidus). Its fronds are glossy and bright green, but instead of lying flat they twist and ripple. Each fern grows out of its own centre, called the crown, in a loose rosette, and new fronds unroll from there. With three in one bowl, the fronds reach out past the rim.
The bowl is handmade in Vietnam, 10 in across and 5.5 in tall, with a plain, slightly glossy terracotta-orange glaze and no pattern. Because each bowl is made by hand, there may be a few small marks in the glaze, and no two bowls are exactly alike. We planted the ferns in a quality organic soil mix and covered the top with natural river pebbles in brown, rust, grey and green. It's $149 before tax for the ferns, the bowl and the pebbles together.
That's why it works as a gift. It arrives already planted and ready to display, so you set it on a table, a wide shelf or a desk and enjoy it. The soil mix means no feeding for the first six months either.
It doesn't need a sunny window. It's happy in medium light and grows best in bright, indirect light. A north or east window works well, and in winter it does better closer to the glass. A bright bathroom suits it too, because the air there stays more humid. What it doesn't like is hot direct sun, a spot right next to a heater vent, or going weeks without water.
Honestly, it's not a plant you can forget about. Unlike many of our houseplants, a bird's nest fern doesn't want to dry out, so someone needs to check the soil every few days. If the person you're giving it to travels a lot or likes to water once a month, our Moonshine snake plant is the easier choice, but it's toxic to cats and dogs if chewed, so it needs a spot pets can't reach.
We have two of these. The photos show one of them. The other is the same combination, three Cobra ferns in the same style of handmade bowl, but each plant and each handmade bowl is a little different. Not happy with your plant? Bring it back within 30 days for an exchange or a refund.
Care in a Vancouver home
Light
Medium to bright, indirect light. A north or east window works well. Watch how the light falls in your room, and if the fronds start to lean or lose their shine, move it closer to the window. Keep it out of direct sun, because too much sun can turn the fronds yellow or burn them. In December Vancouver gets only about eight hours of daylight, and a lot of it is grey. So in winter keep it close to the window, with the fronds off the cold glass.
Water
This fern doesn't want to dry out, but it doesn't want to sit wet either. Move a few pebbles aside and push a finger into the soil, about two knuckles deep. Water only when the soil feels dry at that depth, not just on the surface. There is no saucer with this bowl, so water slowly and in small amounts. Pour a little onto the soil around the edge of the bowl, wait a minute for it to soak in, and feel the soil again. Add a little more only if it still feels dry, and stop when the soil is evenly damp. Don't flood the bowl, and never leave the soil soggy. From November to February the soil dries more slowly, so check before you water instead of watering on a schedule.
The crowns
Each of the three ferns has its own centre, called the crown, where new fronds unroll. Keep water out of all three. Water that collects in the middle of a rosette can rot the crown. Pour around the edge of the bowl, between the ferns and the rim. If some gets in by accident, soak it up with the corner of a soft paper towel. When a new frond is coming up, leave it to unroll on its own.
Humidity
It likes moist air. A bright bathroom with a window is a good spot. In winter, the heating in Vancouver homes makes the air dry, so keep it away from heater vents and fireplaces. A humidifier nearby helps. Brown, crispy frond edges can be a sign that the soil or the air has been too dry. Check the soil first: if it's already damp, don't water more.
Fronds and pests
The fronds are fragile, so handle them gently. Don't rub or polish them. Now and then look under the fronds for scale, which shows up as small brown bumps, and for mealybugs, which look like small bits of white cotton. If you see either, show us a photo at the counter, or reply to your order email with one.
Temperature
A normal room is fine. It's happiest at about 16 to 21°C (60 to 70°F). Keep it out of cold drafts, like a door that opens to the outside, and away from direct heat.
Feeding
Nothing for the first six months, because it's planted in a quality organic soil mix. After that, feed in late spring and summer only, with houseplant food at half the strength on the label, about once a month. Nothing from November to February.
Repotting
Not needed for now. Bird's nest ferns grow slowly, and these are already planted in their bowl. If one day the roots fill it, repot in spring, keep each crown at the same depth it sits now, and go up one pot size and no more. When Darrell repots tropical plants, he keeps to one size up: “Nothing too big right away. Just to get a good one size up.”
Pets and kids
Any plant can upset a pet's stomach. The ASPCA says the same: eating any plant material may cause vomiting and stomach upset in dogs and cats. If your cat or dog likes to chew leaves, keep this fern somewhere they can't reach, and if your pet seems unwell or you're concerned, call your vet.
Not sure it suits your spot?
Send a photo of the corner you have in mind. Darrell, who has grown plants for more than 25 years, will tell you honestly if this plant will be happy there.
Goes well with
Braided money treeA small tree with a braided trunk, in a 5 in pot. It likes the same bright, indirect light, but it wants the top quarter of its soil dry before watering, so check each pot on its own.
Trailing peperomia hanging basketCream and green leaves on stems about 19 in long, in an 8 in basket ready to hang. It likes an east or north window too, but its soil should go drier than the fern's.
Moonshine snake plantA small silvery plant in a 4 in pot, for a spot you'd rather water less often. Toxic to cats and dogs if chewed, so it needs a place pets can't reach.
Questions people ask
Is a bird's nest fern a good gift?
Yes, for someone who likes plants and will check on it every few days. This one arrives already planted in its handmade ceramic bowl with a pebble top, ready to display. It's happy in medium light and doesn't need a sunny window.
How do I care for a Cobra fern?
Medium to bright, indirect light, out of direct sun. Before you water, push a finger about two knuckles into the soil and water only if it's dry at that depth. Then water slowly in small amounts around the edge of the bowl, not into the centre of any fern, and stop when the soil is evenly damp. Keep it away from heater vents in winter.
Can I water into the centre of the fern?
No. Pour the water onto the soil around the edge of the bowl. Water that collects in the centre of a rosette, where the new fronds come from, can rot the crown. With three ferns in this bowl, keep water out of all three centres. If some gets in by accident, soak it up with the corner of a soft paper towel.
Does it need a lot of light?
No. It's happy in medium light and grows best in bright, indirect light, like a north or east window. Keep it out of direct sun, which can yellow or burn the fronds.
Does it come with a saucer?
No saucer is included. Water slowly, in small amounts, and stop when the soil is evenly damp. If you want to protect a wooden table, set the bowl on a waterproof tray.
Why are the edges of my fern turning brown?
Brown, crispy edges can be a sign it has been too dry, either the soil or the air. Check the soil about two knuckles down first, and only water if it's dry at that depth. Move it away from heater vents, and in winter a humidifier nearby helps. A frond that has gone fully brown can be cut off at the base.
Will I get the bowl in the photos?
We have two of these. The photos show one of them, and the other is the same combination, three Cobra ferns in the same style of handmade bowl. Each plant and each handmade bowl is a little different. Both are at our shop in Kitsilano if you'd like to see them.
Can I pick it up, or do you deliver?
Both are free. Pick it up at our shop at 3742 West 10th Avenue in Kitsilano any time we're open, 11:00 am to 6:30 pm, seven days a week. Or choose free delivery to Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Richmond and Burnaby, and we contact you by email after you pay to set up a delivery time.
What is the last day to order for Christmas?
Order by Sunday, December 20, and we plan to deliver December 21 to 23. We confirm the day with you by email. Ordering after that? Email us first. On December 24, plants are pickup only at our shop.
What if my plant doesn't do well?
Bring it back within 30 days and we'll exchange it or give you a refund.
Where can I buy a bird's nest fern in Vancouver?
At DH Garden Centre, 3742 West 10th Avenue in Kitsilano, open 11:00 am to 6:30 pm, seven days a week. You can see this bowl and buy it at the counter, or order it here and pick it up or have it delivered free.
See it before you buy
This plant is at our shop in Kitsilano. Come and see it, and buy it at the counter if you like it. Or order here and pick it up, or we deliver it free.
DH Garden Centre
3742 West 10th Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6R 2G4
Open 7 days, 11:00 AM to 6:30 PM