Nephrolepis

The Boston Fern is one of many ferns that is suitable for indoor use as a houseplant. If you want a reliable and fairly easy care fern then you need look no further than a variety of Nephrolepis. The Boston Fern looks fantastic as a stand alone plantThe Victorians were particularly keen on the early species such as N. cordifolia and N. exaltata, both of which tend to have stiff leaves or as they are more correctly known, "fronds". These days the more modern varieties such as the "Kimberley Fern" and of course the "Boston Fern" which was introduced in 1894, are much more popular due to their adaptability to our warmer homes (those Victorians liked the cold!). The Boston Fern has graceful green, drooping fronds that are naturally cut in such a way to give a ruffled looking effect and therefore it looks really good in a hanging basket or in a place where the fronds can hang down over something, for example on the edge of a bookcase or shelf. They're quite sensitive to chemicals and the smoke from coal fires or wood burners are fairly toxic, draughts must also be avoided. This means your choice of placement will need to be considered quite carefully if your home has any of these features. The Boston Fern is readily available, relatively cheap and is a great starter fern if you enjoy the lush green foliage and the feelings of peaceful tranquility they seem to evoke in people. It's also one of the top rated plants for removing air pollutants from the air and because of its almost insatiable appetite for water it pumps out large amounts of water vapor into the nearby air, thereby increasing humidity.