PlantFiles: Boston Fern
Nephrolepis exaltata 'Bostoniensis'

This plant is sometimes confused with Sword Fern (Nephrolepis cordifolia In fact, some unscrupulous or uninformed sellers will actually be selling N. cordifolia in hanging baskets labeled as "Boston Fern" when it is actually Sword Fern. There are several botanical differences between the leaf structure of the two ferns, but the differences are generally so small that only a trained eye would recognize one from the other. However, one glaring difference makes it easy to tell them apart. The N. cordifolia (invasive Sword Fern) has spherical tubers on the roots; N. exaltata 'Bostoniensis' does not have these round tubers. Before buying anything labeled as "Boston Fern," I would recommend lifting the fern from its pot or hanging basket in order to inspect the roots to see if the round tubers are present. If the round tubers are there. the plant is most likely Sword Fern and is being misrepresented as Boston Fern.

Jeremy