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|common_name=Sword fern, Boston fern

|common_name=Sword fern, Boston fern

|habit=fern

|habit=fern

|Temp Metric=°F

|Temp Metric=°F

|jumpin=If this plant info box on watering; zones; height; etc. is mostly empty you can click on the edit tab and fill in the blanks!

|jumpin=If this plant info box on watering; zones; height; etc. is mostly empty you can click on the edit tab and fill in the blanks!

|image=Nephrolepis exaltata indoor0705c.jpg

|image=Nephrolepis exaltata indoor0705c.jpg

|image_width=240

|image_width=240

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{{Inc|

{{Inc|

Nephrolepis exaltata, Schott. Sword-fern. Lvs. rather rigid and erect, 2-5 ft. long, 3-6 in. wide, oblong, tapering toward the point, the pinnae rather close, acute, entire or crenulate, the upper side auricled. Fla. to Brazil, Hong-Kong and E. Afr.—This description applies only to the wild species. It is impossible to give a description which will include all the forms which have been derived from this species. Each distinct form needs separate treatment. The varieties of N. exaltata have practically all arisen in the last twenty years, since the early nineties. At that time this species was grown to some extent by florists as a house-plant but was not more common than many flowering species. It happened, however, that in a lot of this species of about 200 plants, shipped by Robt. Craig & Co., of Philadelphia, to F. C. Becker of Cambridge, Mass., there was discovered one plant which differed from the ordinary exaltata in being more graceful, slightly broader, and a quicker grower. The purchaser identified this plant as the species acuminata or, as it was then called, davallioides, and proceeded to raise and sell it by the scores of thousands. Later, when a specimen of the fern came into the hands of G. W. Oliver, the latter raised the question of its identification and declared that it was not davallioides but exaltata, though not the typical form. For some time thereafter Messrs. Becker and Oliver exchanged opinions in the "Florists' Exchange," until Oliver's determination was accepted. The nomenclature commission of The Society of American Florists did not feel competent to give a name to the new variety so it was sent to Kew where it was suggested that the neighborhood of its discovery might well be honored by calling it bostoniensis. This name was given in 1896. The fern had been on the market for a year or more previously.

Nephrolepis exaltata, Schott. Sword-fern. Lvs. rather rigid and erect, 2-5 ft. long, 3-6 in. wide, oblong, tapering toward the point, the pinnae rather close, acute, entire or crenulate, the upper side auricled. Fla. to Brazil, Hong-Kong and E. Afr.—This description applies only to the wild species. It is impossible to give a description which will include all the forms which have been derived from this species. Each distinct form needs separate treatment. The varieties of N. exaltata have practically all arisen in the last twenty years, since the early nineties. At that time this species was grown to some extent by florists as a house-plant but was not more common than many flowering species. It happened, however, that in a lot of this species of about 200 plants, shipped by Robt. Craig & Co., of Philadelphia, to F. C. Becker of Cambridge, Mass., there was discovered one plant which differed from the ordinary exaltata in being more graceful, slightly broader, and a quicker grower. The purchaser identified this plant as the species acuminata or, as it was then called, davallioides, and proceeded to raise and sell it by the scores of thousands. Later, when a specimen of the fern came into the hands of G. W. Oliver, the latter raised the question of its identification and declared that it was not davallioides but exaltata, though not the typical form. For some time thereafter Messrs. Becker and Oliver exchanged opinions in the "Florists' Exchange," until Oliver's determination was accepted. The nomenclature commission of The Society of American Florists did not feel competent to give a name to the new variety so it was sent to Kew where it was suggested that the neighborhood of its discovery might well be honored by calling it bostoniensis. This name was given in 1896. The fern had been on the market for a year or more previously.

==Cultivation==

==Cultivation==

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The Boston fern is a very popular [[house plant]], often grown in hanging baskets or similar conditions. It is a [[perennial plant]] hardy in [[USDA plant hardiness zones]] 9-11. Although the fern may appear totally dead due to frost, it will re-emerge in the spring. In general, the Boston fern likes damp, but not soggy [[soil]] that is rich in nutrients. Of the common cultivated ferns, the Boston fern is the most tolerant to [[drought]]. The fern thrives best in humid conditions, so when grown as a house plant it becomes necessary to mist the plant when relative humidity falls below around 80%. Although outdoors this plant prefers partial shade or full shade, inside it grows best in bright filtered light.

 

Boston fern is native to Florida, the West Indies, and Asian Pacific. A related species, the Tuberous Sword fern (''Nephrolepis cordifolia''), is frequently confused with Boston fern and is a serious exotic invasive plant, forming dense [[monocultures]].

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===Propagation===

===Propagation===

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This plant is usually propagated by division of the rooted runners, as named [[cultivar]]s will not produce true [[spore]]s.

===Pests and diseases===

===Pests and diseases===