Florida Forest Plants

Boston fern  (Nephrolepis exaltata)

Boston fern, also called sword fern, or fluffy ruffles fern, is a member of the Polypodiaceae or fern family. It is native to tropical regions, but has widely naturalized in the United States. Its finely divided pinnae give the plant an attractive, feathery look. It is the most commonly grown indoor fern, both as a popular houseplant, and as an ornamental accent plant for interior landscape design projects. It is often seen decorating patios and decks. The ferns gained great popularity during the Victorian era, because of their light green color and fast growth rate. Boston fern is widely used today in commercial floral arrangements.

Boston fern is common in tropical hammocks and areas with lots of light and moisture, where the plants may form thick blankets on the forest floor. It can often be seen growing on the trunks of cabbage palms, or other trees across Florida.

The vegetative growth has the ability to filter pollutants out of the air and is sometimes planted to help purify and humidify an environment.

In South Florida, Boston fern is an evergreen plant. In more northern areas, it is killed by frost in the winter, but reemerges in the spring.

  

Frond

 Identifying Characteristics
Size/Form:
 Boston fern is an upright, herbaceous, evergreen plant, that varies greatly in size. Its arching fronds may be as small as 6", or as large as 7'. Plants commonly spread from 2' to 3' wide, although this varies as well.
Leaves:
 The leaves, called fronds, arise in clusters from the base and have an elliptical outline, with many, alternately arranged, shallow-toothed leaflets, or stipes. Leaflets are bright green and scaly at first, becoming smoother, as the plants grow. Leaflets near the leaf base may be more sickle-shaped.
Fruit:
 Ferns produce by spores, not fruit. These spores are found in small clusters called sori. The brown - black sori of the Boston fern lie in rows, between the midrib and the leaf margin on the underside of the leaflet. Sori are most prevalent clustered near the tips of forked veins.
Stem:
 The reddish-brown to brown stems shoot out in different directions from the base of the plant and are often covered with slight fuzz.
Habitat:
 Boston fern is a shade-tolerant plant that grows best in moist soils and warm, humid conditions. It is found near swamps, forests, damp hammocks and along roadsides. While it prefers well-drained soil, it can also grow as an air plant, attaching itself to cabbage palms and other trees.


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Leaflets


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