If you look at the rock -you see Mustang keys for scale. This has been a short summer after a long cool spring so I havent much that has outdone itself..but this maybe. After a near defoliating by snails one or two nights in late winter,and then my pruning off 90% of the ugly fronds in early summer, its looking decent again. About 4' fronds ,I think I can do better next year with more compost and fertilizer. They dont need a great deal of water-just dont let go dry. What looks like a shrub on the right is a hanging "goldfish" plant.

Lovely fern! Can anyone tell me how to see the difference between A. nidus and A. australasicum?

A.nidus leaves have a spine that is rounded smooth above and below the leaf. A. australicum is keel shaped. The San Diego fern society web page has a great writup on telling the various "Birdsnest ferns "apart.

Nicely grown Stan. It almost looks like a banana! I don't know, to my eyes the differences between these ferns is tricky. All three are sympatric on the southern islands of Japan, so I'd imagine hybrids exist down there as well....now that really complicates things...

Question, how cold has that fern got in past winters? Does it keep its fronds well, or is there damage? A. antiquum seems to be the champ for cold hardiness, down to - 5 C at least, and colder with protection. A. nidus is a pure wimp - anything below freezing and that sucker is on its way out!

Thanks Tom,its taken 0C,maybe -1C . It took that range four nights in a row in 07 and last January we had a pair of 0C's on a nasty cold weekend. Not a mark on it.
There's something different about this A.australicum....first of all,I had to lighten the photo so,its a much darker green-actually much more like the birds nest fern on the Borneo post. Second,it does have wide fronds. Even when a wee 6" potted plant three years ago it was different in form for a small birds nest-robust in all ways.
Longs in Oakland's supplier always seems to have them( for local folks reading this)...haven't seen them elsewhere where they are more typical apple green,slower growing and not as hardy..killed a couple by slugs also.