PLANT FINDER
Blue Bell Boston Fern
Nephrolepis exaltata 'Bostoniensis Blue Bell'
Height: 3 feet
Spacing: 18 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 9a
Description:
Beautiful and full, this selection produces elegant, finely-toothed, sword-shaped fronds, arching and trailing from hanging baskets or containers; quick growing with a dense, compact shape; a great choice outdoors in warmer climates
Ornamental Features
Blue Bell Boston Fern's attractive ferny pinnately compound leaves remain green in color with hints of light green throughout the year on a plant with an arching habit of growth.
Landscape Attributes
Blue Bell Boston Fern is a dense herbaceous evergreen fern with a shapely form and gracefully arching fronds. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.
This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;
- Suckering
Blue Bell Boston Fern is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Accent
- Mass Planting
- General Garden Use
- Groundcover
- Container Planting
- Hanging Baskets
Planting & Growing
Blue Bell Boston Fern will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 18 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.
This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.
Blue Bell Boston Fern is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
Characteristics
Applications
Ornamental Features