Nephrolepis exaltata
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Wild Boston Fern
Nephrolepidaceae
Plant Specifics
| Form: | Fern | |
| Size: | to 1 to 1.5 ft, spreads broadly by rhisomes | |
| Life Span: | Long-lived perennial | |
| Flower Color: | NA | |
| Fruit Color: | NA | |
| Phenology: | Evergreen | |
| Noted for: | Interesting foliage |
Landscaping
| Recommended Uses: | Groundcover especially in shady moist areas. Spreads by rhizomes. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Considerations: | This can be aggressive. Be careful to plant it where you can contain it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Propagation: | Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Availability: | Friends, Native nurseries | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Light: | Part Shade, Shade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: |
always floodedextremely dry |
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| (Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Not wet but not extremely dry) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: | Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Not wet but not extremely dry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Water Flooding Tolerance: | Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance: | Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil or other substrate: | Clay, Loam, Organic material (muck), Sand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil pH: | Acidic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ecology
| Wildlife: |
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| Insects: | ||
| Native Habitats: | Wet-dry sites. Swamps, hammocks, yards. |
Distribution and Planting Zones
Natural Range in Florida
USDA Zones
Suitable to grow in:
10A 10B 9A 9B
USDA zones are based on minimum winter temperatures
Comments
| General Comments: | Very similar in appearance to several non-natives which are invasive pests, esp. N. cordifolia. If there are spherical tubers amongst the roots, it's N. cordifolia, the invasive tuberous swordfern. In this vein, it appears that herbarium specimens from further north than indicated on our map have been reclassified as something other than N. exaltata. We do not show those areas on our map. |