Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fern
Fern
Origin
Mexico, Central America, South America, Brazil, Africa, Middle Africa, Polynesia
North America, Northeastern United States
Types
Nephrolepis biserrata, Nephrolepis cordifolia, Nephrolepis multiflora
Polystichum acrostichoides
Number of Varieties
3010
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Forests, Humid climates, Swamps
Boggy areas, By seashore, Coastal Regions, Moist woods, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-153-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
8-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
90.00 cm30.50 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm45.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Irregular
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Shade, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
-
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought, Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Divison
Divison, Spores
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Requires regular watering
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Shade, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
-
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Insects
Allergy
Erythema, Periungual swelling, Scaling, Vesicles
Avoid during Pregnancy, coma, Eye irritation, weakness
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Hanging Basket, Showy Purposes
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Indoor Air Purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Nutrients
Part of Plant Used
-
Leaves
Other Uses
Air freshner, Used as Ornamental plant
Air freshner, Decoration Purposes, Employed in herbal medicine, Showy Purposes, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edging, Foundation, Hanging Basket, Mixed Border, Tropical
Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
NEPHROLEPIS exaltata 'Bostoniensis'
POLYSTICHUM acrostichoides
Common Name
Boston swordfern, Wild Boston fern, Tuber ladder fern, Fishbone fern
Christmas Fern
In Hindi
बोस्टन फर्न
पौधा
Christmas Fern
In German
Boston Fern
Pflanze
Christmas Fern
In French
Boston Fern
Plante
polystic faux-acrostic
In Spanish
helecho de Boston
Planta
Christmas Fern
In Greek
Βοστώνη Fern
Φυτό
Christmas Fern
In Portuguese
Boston Fern
Plantar
Christmas Fern
In Polish
Boston paproci
Roślina
Christmas Fern
In Latin
Boston Fern
planta
Christmas Fern
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Pteridophyta
Filicinophyta
Class
Filicopsida
Filicopsida
Order
Polypodiales
Filicales
Family
Dryopteridaceae
Dryopteridaceae
Genus
Nephrolepis Schott
Polystichum
Clade
-
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
30700
1
27800
👆🏻