Boston fern

Nephrolepis exaltata

Bushy fern with arching fronds; popular as a houseplant or sheltered patio specimen.

Hardiness ratings

Boston fern hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 9–12 −6.7 °C to 15.6 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H1c 5 °C to 10 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 9 −1 °C and warmer Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 5–7 5 °C and warmer Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Frost-tender — strictly indoor in cold zones
  • Needs high humidity and indirect light to thrive
  • Not reliably hardy outdoors in Canada — Canadian zone values shown represent the system maximum and do not imply garden cultivation north of the warmest coastal pockets.

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Boston fern against your zones

Reference

Boston fern on Wikipedia