Last week, we featured a pothos—an amazingly easy, common houseplant. This week we are completely switching gears to offer you a little more rare and challenging houseplant—the heart fern! This plant is hard to miss; it boasts thick, glossy, heart-shaped leaves (hence the name). This plant is notoriously picky, but perfect for the seasoned houseplant connoisseur, or someone looking for a bit of a challenge! The challenge of these plants comes from the fact that they love the warm, humid, jungle like climate of Asia. However, once their conditions are met, they are a beautiful, and certainly rewarding, plant to own!
This plant is also a dwarf variety so it is a great choice for people who want a fern that won’t easy overtake a beloved pot, or small space. We get that question all the time at Retreat: will this plant grow? Often times, the answer is yes, it will keep growing bigger and outgrow its pot. If you are looking for something that won’t get too large, this may be your plant.
Scoop up a heart fern for 20% off all this week (May 12 – May 18). You can also enter to win one this week in store, or online through our Instagram and Facebook accounts. Winner must be able to pick up in store.
Quick Tips for your Heart Fern:
- Like most of our plants these plants love bright indirect light best
- No direct light for these plants as it will scorch their leaves
- They will also tolerate medium light
- Allow the first inch or so of soil to dry before water, however, don’t let it try too much more than that.
- This is a plant that loves to be moist, just not soggy
- They love really humid conditions
- Try a humidifier near your heart fern
- Consider using a pebble try of water under your plant to create some of the humidity it craves
- These plants tend to do well in terrariums where it sits in the glass because it creates warm, humid conditions, and holds on to water.
- This is a plant where temperature is important
- The heart fern definitely has a preference for warmth so make sure the spot for your home is not too cold or drafty!
Looking for more? Check out some of our other plant posts on our blog.