Species · genus Nephrolepis · Nephrolepidaceae

Sword Fern

Nephrolepis exaltata (L.) Schott

Also known as: Boston Fern · Boston Sword Fern · Boston Swordfern · Fishbone Fern · Niʻaniʻau

Growth habit

epiphyte

Native range

Arizona, Bahamas, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Florida, Hawaii, Honduras, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Louisiana, Mexico Gulf, Nicaragua, Panamá, Puerto Rico, Texas, Turks-Caicos Is.

Reference · N. exaltata

Cultivars of N. exaltata

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under N. exaltata yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

A soft, arching epiphytic fern that wants steady moisture and humid air. Keep the soil evenly damp — never bone dry — and give it a humid spot; dry air browns the fronds.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: Horta curated (seed)
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 3-7d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 7 days

Humidity

High

Temperature

16–24 °C

Soil mix

Light, peaty, well-draining mix that stays evenly moist

Propagation

Division or rooted runners

Fertilizing

Dilute balanced feed monthly spring through summer

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Never flowers — the classic Boston fern, spore-bearing

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Non-toxic to cats & dogs

Listed non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses (Boston fern). This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: Horta curated (seed) · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 3-7d) · ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-fable-5 · ASPCA

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Sword Fern yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.