Nephrolepis cordifolia is a fern native to the global tropics, including northeastern Australia and Asia.

The species is originally native to north-eastern Australia and the foothills of the Himalayas, and is considered naturalised on the central east coast of New South Wales.

In adequate conditions, these ferns grow readily as epiphytes, typically adhering to the bark of tree branches above a water source, where they can receive round-the-clock humidity and airflow.

They can be found in a multitude of environments, from deep swamps and riverbanks to rugged outcrops and rock faces, as well as roadsides, ditches, creeks, fallen trees, and even abandoned buildings and ruins.

They love moist, shady locations; in their natural range, they are usually found in swamps (as an epiphyte) or along brooks and ditches of coniferous forest floodplains (growing more terrestrially).