The natural habitat for many ferns is the rainforest, and fern plants have become accustomed to being shaded and having lots of moisture. For your fern to thrive it is essential that it is planted in at least partial shade. In addition ferns also require constant moisture in both the soil and air for them to grow properly. Misting the leaves of a fern plant is the best way to mimic the extremely humid atmosphere that the plants are used to within their natural habitat.