Boston fern is easy to grow and tolerates shade; master the method and it stays evergreen all year round

The Boston fern (Nephrolepis cordifolia) is a perennial evergreen herbaceous fern of the genus Nephrolepis in the family Nephrolepidaceae, and among gardeners it is also often called centipede grass or round fern. It originates from tropical and subtropical regions, and in the wild it often grows on tree trunks under the forest canopy or in crevices of rocks beside streams; it is very common in southern China. The above-ground part consists of clumps of feathery, slender compound leaves whose soft fronds droop naturally and stay green all year round; the underground rhizome also produces small round tubers, which is a very distinctive feature of this plant.

With its fresh green leaf color, graceful posture and good shade tolerance, the Boston fern is a commonly used indoor foliage plant, and it is also suitable for ground cover under garden trees, for edging flower beds, or for growing in hanging baskets, where the trailing fronds look very attractive. In addition, its tubers are rich in starch, and in some regions there is a folk custom of gathering them for food or for medicinal use, though for home growing it is mainly kept as an ornamental plant.

For care, the Boston fern likes a warm, humid, semi-shaded environment and dislikes direct strong light, so it should be placed where there is bright indirect light. During the growing period, keep the potting soil moist, and when the air is dry, mist the leaves and the surrounding area frequently, otherwise the leaf tips tend to dry out and scorch. A loose, fertile, well-drained leaf mold or peat soil is best, and during the growing season fertilizer can be applied lightly and often. It is not cold-hardy, so in winter it should be moved indoors for warmth, and at low temperatures take care to reduce watering and stop fertilizing.

Propagation is mainly by division: in spring, when repotting, simply separate the mother plant and plant the divisions separately, which gives a high survival rate, and small plantlets growing on the runners can also be cut off and planted to produce new plants. If the leaves turn yellow in daily care, it is usually caused by too much light, dry air or insufficient watering, and the plant generally recovers once the environment is adjusted in time; when ventilation is poor, pests such as scale insects occasionally appear, and cutting off the affected leaves and improving ventilation is enough to bring them under control.