Temperature
60–75°F
Keep away from winter window glass and heating vents.
Boston fern
Nephrolepis exaltata
Boston fern wants medium light and water every 3 to 6 days, once the surface is just dry to the touch. Non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Light
Medium
LowMediumBright indirectDirect
A north window, or four feet back from an east one. An hour of direct afternoon sun is enough to scorch the fronds.
Water
Every 3–6 days
Baseline for a 6-inch pot indoors. Check first: water when the surface is just dry to the touch, not on a schedule.
Humidity
50% and up
Wants 80%. Struggles in dry winter air.
Difficulty
Demanding
Scores 4 of 5: Scores 4 of 5: nothing about its light or soil is demanding, but it drops fronds within days in dry indoor air and never fully recovers from drying out once.
Habit
Spreading
Grows to 18–36 inches. No support needed.
Non-toxic to cats and dogs
Eating a large amount of any plant can still cause mild stomach upset.
Listed as non-toxic by the ASPCA under Nephrolepis exalta bostoniensis. ASPCA entry is the Boston fern cultivar of the same species.
DISPLAY — in-content responsive
Light
Medium light. A north window, or four feet back from an east one. An hour of direct afternoon sun is enough to scorch the fronds.
Water
Every 3 to 6 days in a 6-inch pot, when the surface is just dry to the touch.
Treat the interval as a starting point and the test as the actual instruction. Pot size, light level and season all move the number.
| Method | keep evenly moist |
|---|---|
| Test before watering | the surface is just dry to the touch |
Soil and potting
Three parts peat-free potting soil, one part perlite.
Repot roughly every 1.5 years, or when roots come through the drainage holes and water runs straight through without absorbing.
Common problems
Ranked by how often each turns out to be the cause for this species.
Propagation
Division in soil. Roots in 21 to 42 days.
| Preferred method | division |
|---|---|
| Medium | soil |
| Time to root | 21–42 days |
| Node required | No |
| Best season | Spring and summer |
Sources
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control, Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List — Nephrolepis exaltata
- Missouri Botanical Garden, Plant Finder — Nephrolepis exaltata
- Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Plants of the World Online
- Wikidata entity Q136883
Compiled and edited by Tony Valcarcel · 2026-09-02
Tony Valcarcel is the editor and publisher of this database, not a horticulturist
or a veterinarian. Every fact above is drawn from the sources listed, and
toxicity severity is reported only where one of them stated it.
How this is sourced.
Last updated 2026-09-02