Dilip Walse Patil

Scientific Name : Nephrolepis exaltata (L.) Schott

Category : Pteridophyta

Status : LC

Nephrolepis exaltata, commonly called sword fern or Boston fern. It is an evergreen fern that grows with an upright spreading habit to 3 ft tall and as wide. In its native habitat, it may grow to as much as 7 ft. It is an easy and popular fern to grow indoors. Generally sword shaped fronds have shallow toothed to entire pinnae. Fronds initially grow upward but arch gracefully with age. A number of different forms are available in commerce including the very popular cultivar Bostoniensis which many years ago earned the reputation of being a classic parlor fern. A number of additional cultivars in commerce feature such variations as curly, wavy, twisted, drooping, double pinnate and overlapping fronds. Uses As an indoor fern, it is perhaps best for pedestals or hanging baskets. Locations in or near bathrooms or kitchens may have better humidity. Where winter hardy outdoors, it may be grown in groups or massed in shady areas, or it may be sited at the base of shrubs or around trees.