Houseplant · Nephrolepidaceae
Boston Fern
Nephrolepis exaltata
Set it where the air stays humid and the soil evenly moist, and the Boston fern softens a room into something restful.
Bright indirect
61–70°F · 16–21°C
USDA 10–12
2–3 ft · 0.6–0.9 m
Overview
Few houseplants set a mood as readily as the Boston fern, its arching fronds spilling over a pedestal or a hanging basket to soften the hard lines of a room. The plant belongs to the genus Nephrolepis and hails from humid tropical forests, which is why a bright bathroom or a steamy kitchen corner flatters it better than a dry living room ever could. Kept out of direct sun, it grows fast and fills a space with an easy, green calm.
Style it for the way it lives, and the fern asks for steady moisture and high humidity above all, the two qualities that ordinary heated rooms tend to lack. Let the soil dry or stand it beside a radiator and the look suffers at once, with leaflets dropping and tips browning. Fold a regular watering into the daily round and pick a humid spot, though, and it stays handsome with very little fuss.
It also suits a household with pets and children, since the ASPCA lists it as non-toxic. That makes it a rare plant you can place at floor level or on a low table without a second thought, a piece that earns its keep on both looks and ease.
Care
The short version: set it in bright indirect light, keep the soil evenly moist but never soggy, and give it humid air around 61°F to 70°F (16°C to 21°C). Feed monthly through the growing season and divide the clump every few years.
Light
Place the fern in bright, indirect light, the soft glow beside a window rather than full sun across the fronds. It will also live in medium light, partial shade, or even a shaded corner, so a dim nook stays workable, while strong sun will scorch the foliage and spoil the look.
Water
Keep the mix evenly moist but never waterlogged, easing off only a little through winter. A dry spell shows up fast in dropped leaflets and browned tips, so a steady watering rhythm does more for the plant's appearance than anything else.
Soil
Pot it in a peaty, soil-based mix that drains freely yet holds moisture, such as a peat and vermiculite blend. That balance keeps the roots comfortably damp without leaving them standing in water.
Temperature
The fern looks its best between 61°F and 70°F (16°C to 21°C), the ordinary comfort of a lived-in room. Keep it away from cold drafts and the dry heat of a radiator, both of which take the freshness out of the fronds.
Humidity
This is a high-humidity plant, and dry household air is its main undoing. Lift the moisture around it by double potting or by setting the pot on a tray of wet pebbles, which serves it far better than a passing mist.
Feeding
Feed monthly from spring to early fall while it is in growth, then let it rest through winter. Reach for a weak, half-strength liquid feed or a slow-release houseplant fertilizer, since a heavy dose scorches the roots.
Pruning
Take old or tired fronds off at the soil line to keep the plant looking fresh and make way for new growth. If it has dried out and shed, the fronds can be cut right back to about 2 inches and left to renew from the base.
Repotting
Divide the fern every few years in spring, once the clump has outgrown its pot. Watch for roots circling the container and crowded fronds that look tired, both a cue to split it and refresh the planting.
Size & spacing
Indoors it reaches about 2 to 3 feet (61 to 91 cm) tall and just as wide, so give it the breathing room to arch. The fronds drape best from a height, which is why a hanging basket, a plant stand, or a tall pot suits it so well.
Troubleshooting
Almost every Boston fern that loses its looks has run into one of three things: dry air, dry soil, or a passing pest. The fronds give the first hint, so a glance now and then lets you step in before the display thins. Find the match below, then set it right while the plant still answers.
Browning fronds and a scattering of leaflets on the floor below
When a display fern starts to brown and litter the floor, dry air and dry soil are usually behind it, and the trouble announces itself at the leaflet tips before any real shedding begins. Restore an even moisture in the mix, lift the humidity around the plant with a pebble tray or by double potting, and move the pot well clear of radiators and the draft of a doorway. Should it have dried out badly, the fronds can be cut back to about 2 inches and the plant left to refresh itself from the base.
Fix:
- Keep the potting medium evenly moist but not saturated
- Raise humidity by double potting or setting the pot on a tray of wet pebbles
- If badly dried out, cut fronds back to about 2 inches to regenerate
Sticky fronds and a dusting of cottony fluff or small bumps
A once-pristine fern that turns tacky and dotted with white is hosting scale insects or mealybugs, and the sticky sheen across the fronds is the honeydew they leave. Cut away and discard any fronds too far gone to save, then treat the foliage that remains. A quiet habit of looking over each new arrival before it joins the room, and keeping a troubled fern apart until it clears, spares the rest of the display.
Fix:
- Remove and discard heavily infested fronds
- Treat remaining foliage for scale or mealybugs
Toxicity
For a home with pets or children, the fern is reassuring company. The ASPCA lists it as non-toxic to cats and dogs, and no toxic compound has been reported in the plant, so it can sit on a low shelf or the floor without worry.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Cats share the room safely. The ASPCA lists Boston fern as non-toxic to them with no toxic principle on record, so a curious nibble need not unsettle the household.
Dogs None
Dogs are welcome around it too. The ASPCA names the fern non-toxic to them, so a chewed frond will do your dog no harm.
Horses Safe
No toxic compound is on record in the plant, so a horse that grazes a stray frond runs no poisoning risk.
Rabbits Safe
A rabbit may sample the fronds without harm, as the fern carries nothing toxic. A steady offering of greens still makes a finer staple than fern leaves.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep meet no toxic principle in the plant, so a mouthful from a stray fern stays safe.
Birds Safe
The fronds hold no known toxin, which makes the fern a safe touch of green to keep near birds.
People Safe
The fern is harmless to people, so a child who mouths a frond comes to no harm. It is not raised as food, though, so no part of it belongs on a plate.
Varieties
A few named cultivars turn up most often, set apart mainly by size, frond texture, and color, each suiting a slightly different spot. These are the ones worth knowing.
'Bostoniensis'
The classic Boston fern, its arching fronds reaching about 4 feet long and 6 inches wide for that signature cascading silhouette.
'Compacta'
A neater, smaller take on the standard fern, well suited to a shelf or a tighter corner.
'Florida Ruffle'
With denser, more finely cut fronds, it brings a soft, ruffled fullness to a display.
'Rita's Gold'
Chosen for new foliage in chartreuse to golden-green, it lends a brighter note to a grouping.
How to propagate
Boston ferns multiply with ease, and the plant does most of the work itself through dividing clumps and self-rooting runners, an effortless way to spread its green through the house.
DivisionEasy
Spring · A few weeks to a couple of months to root and resume growth
Dividing the clump is the gracious way to turn one fern into several for other corners of the home. Come spring, cut the root ball down into halves or quarters, keeping as many fronds on each piece as you can, then allow the divisions a few weeks to a couple of months to root and find their stride again. The fern also spreads of its own accord through runners that root where they meet soil, and in the wild it reproduces from spores set on the undersides of the fronds.
Offsets & pupsEasy
Spring to summer · Several weeks once a rooted runner is separated
The fern reaches out with runners that raise small plantlets wherever they settle on moist soil. Once a runner has rooted, part it from the parent in spring or summer, and the young plant takes hold within a few weeks, ready for a pot of its own.
Myths
Boston fern is poisonous to cats and dogs like so many houseplants.
Happily, this one is safe. The ASPCA lists Boston fern as non-toxic to both cats and dogs, so it has a place in rooms where many other houseplants would be off the table.
Misting is the best way to give a Boston fern the humidity it craves.
Misting does little for the air around a fern and leaves the fronds damp, which invites foliar leaf spot to mar the look. Double potting or a pebble tray raises humidity far more reliably, keeping both the plant and its display in good order.