Bird's Nest Fern

The birds nest fern is an epiphytic fern native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Pacific islands, where it commonly grows perched on tree trunks and branches rather than rooted in soil. Its broad, undivided, glossy green fronds radiate outward from a central point to form a rosette resembling a large nest, which collects falling leaf litter and rainwater that decompose to supply the plant with nutrients. This ability to gather its own compost in the forest canopy lets it thrive far above the ground with no soil of its own.