Nephrolepidaceae
Boston fern
Nephrolepis exaltata
- Family
- Nephrolepidaceae
- Genus
- Nephrolepis
Pets and kids
- CatsSafe
- DogsSafe
- KidsSafe
Why
Cats: Safe
Sources below say it is non-toxic to cats. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.
Dogs: Safe
Sources below say it is non-toxic to dogs. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.
Kids: Safe
Sources below say it is non-toxic to young children. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.
- Nonpoisonous Plants - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Poison control
Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.
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Common names
By language (16)
- Afrikaans
- Swaardvaring
- Arabic
- سيفاوي باسق
- arz
- سيفاوى باسق
- Chinese
- 高大肾蕨, 波士頓腎蕨
- Czech
- Ledviník ztepilý
- Dutch
- Bostonvaren
- English
- Boston fern, Boston swordfern, Boston blue bell fern, Fishbone fern, Tuber ladder fern, Wild Boston swordfern
- Finnish
- Kaarisulkasaniainen
- Hebrew
- שרך בוסטון
- Hungarian
- Szobapáfrány
- Japanese
- セイヨウタマシダ
- Norwegian Bokmål
- Bostonbregne
- Persian
- سرخس برگ شمشیری
- Polish
- Nefrolepis wyniosły, Nefrolepis wysoki, Nerczyłusk wyniosły, Polypodium exaltatum
- Russian
- Нефролепис возвышенный, Бостонский папоротник
- Thai
- เฟินงาม
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Hawaii: native, Lower 48 states: native, Puerto Rico: native, U.S. Virgin Islands: native
Photos
Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Kor!An, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Mokkie, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Mokkie, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons ![Boston fern: [syn. Nephrolepis exaltata subsp. hawaiiensis] ʻŌkupukupu or niaʻaniʻau Lomariopsidaceae [Nephrolepidaceae] (Swordfern family) Indigenous to the Hawaiian Island](https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Nephrolepis_exaltata_%285333987411%29.jpg/500px-Nephrolepis_exaltata_%285333987411%29.jpg)
Photo: David Eickhoff from Hawaiʻi, USA, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons ![Boston fern: [syn. Nephrolepis exaltata subsp. hawaiiensis] ʻŌkupukupu or niaʻaniʻau Lomariopsidaceae [Nephrolepidaceae] (Swordfern family) Indigenous to the Hawaiian Island](https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Nephrolepis_exaltata_%285311110721%29.jpg/500px-Nephrolepis_exaltata_%285311110721%29.jpg)
Photo: David Eickhoff from Hawaiʻi, USA, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Nathaly 1106, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
![Boston fern: [syn. Nephrolepis exaltata subsp. hawaiiensis] ʻŌkupukupu or niaʻaniʻau Lomariopsidaceae [Nephrolepidaceae] (Swordfern family) Indigenous to the Hawaiian Island](https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Nephrolepis_exaltata_%285333987411%29.jpg/1280px-Nephrolepis_exaltata_%285333987411%29.jpg)
![Boston fern: [syn. Nephrolepis exaltata subsp. hawaiiensis] ʻŌkupukupu or niaʻaniʻau Lomariopsidaceae [Nephrolepidaceae] (Swordfern family) Indigenous to the Hawaiian Island](https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Nephrolepis_exaltata_%285311110721%29.jpg/1280px-Nephrolepis_exaltata_%285311110721%29.jpg)
More in Nephrolepis
- Narrow swordfernNephrolepis cordifoliaNephrolepidaceae
- Giant swordfernNephrolepis biserrataNephrolepidaceae
- Australian swordfernNephrolepis obliterataNephrolepidaceae
- Asian swordfernNephrolepis browniiNephrolepidaceae
- Fishtail swordfernNephrolepis falcataNephrolepidaceae
- Scaly swordfernNephrolepis hirsutulaNephrolepidaceae
- Nephrolepis flexuosaNephrolepidaceae
- Nephrolepis pectinataNephrolepidaceae
- Streamside swordfernNephrolepis rivularisNephrolepidaceae
- Fishbone fernNephrolepis acutifoliaNephrolepidaceae
- Nephrolepis abruptaNephrolepidaceae
- Nephrolepis aridaNephrolepidaceae
Sources: classification from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0); common names from SimplePlant editors (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.