Boston Fern vs Lemon Button Fern
The lemon button fern is the tidy one: small, slow, far less shedding, and rated easy. The Boston fern gets big and litters the floor with fronds.
Lemon Button Fern is rated easy to care for, Boston Fern medium. If this is an early houseplant or the spot is hard to get right, start with the Lemon Button Fern. Lemon Button Fern needs low to medium light (2/5) - fine a few metres back from a window. Boston Fern wants medium indirect light (3/5), near a bright window, out of direct sun.
What they share: both are pet-safe.
Choose
Boston Fern if…
- ✓you have a bright window to give it (medium indirect light)
- ✓you like a plant that asks for attention on a schedule
- ✓it will live in a bathroom, kitchen or a humidified room
- ✓you are happy to fuss a little for the better-looking leaves
- ✓you want a floor-filling plant (30-90 cm (1-3 ft))
Choose
Lemon Button Fern if…
- ✓your spot is the dimmer of the two - it manages on low to medium light
- ✓you forget to water - it prefers to dry out between drinks
- ✓your home runs dry in winter and you will not add a humidifier
- ✓you want the lower-risk plant of the two
- ✓shelf space is what you have (15-30 cm (6-12 in))
Boston Fern vs Lemon Button Fern: side by side
| Attribute |
Boston Fern
|
Lemon Button Fern
|
|---|---|---|
| Plant type | Fern | Fern |
| Difficulty | medium | easy |
| Light | ●●●○○ 3/5 Medium indirect light |
●●○○○ 2/5 Low to medium light |
| Water | ●●●●○ 4/5 High |
●●●○○ 3/5 Moderate |
| Humidity | ●●●●● 5/5 High |
●●●○○ 3/5 Average |
| Pet safe | Safe | Safe |
| Mature size | Medium 30-90 cm (1-3 ft) |
Small 15-30 cm (6-12 in) |
| Growth rate | Moderate | Slow |
| Air purifying | Yes | Yes |
| Native to | Tropical regions | Worldwide tropics |
Key differences between Boston Fern and Lemon Button Fern
Lemon Button Fern is the easier plant
Lemon Button Fern is rated easy to care for, Boston Fern medium. If this is an early houseplant or the spot is hard to get right, start with the Lemon Button Fern.
Lemon Button Fern copes with less light
Lemon Button Fern needs low to medium light (2/5) - fine a few metres back from a window. Boston Fern wants medium indirect light (3/5), near a bright window, out of direct sun.
Boston Fern drinks more
Lemon Button Fern wants moderate watering (3/5) - water when the top 2-3 cm is dry, roughly weekly. Boston Fern needs high watering (4/5): keep the soil evenly moist, never fully dry.
Boston Fern needs damper air
Boston Fern rates 5/5 for humidity - needs a humidifier, a terrarium or a steamy bathroom. Lemon Button Fern rates 3/5, so normal household humidity works.
Boston Fern is the bigger plant
Boston Fern reaches 30-90 cm (1-3 ft) and belongs on a side table or plant stand. Lemon Button Fern tops out around 15-30 cm (6-12 in), so it suits a shelf or desk.
Boston Fern fills out faster
Boston Fern is a moderate grower and gives you cuttings or a full pot sooner. Lemon Button Fern is slow, which means less pruning and repotting but a longer wait.
They come from different habitats
Boston Fern originates in Tropical regions; Lemon Button Fern in Worldwide tropics. Matching the original habitat is the quickest way to guess what each one wants indoors.
How to tell Boston Fern and Lemon Button Fern apart
The lemon button is a compact Boston fern relative with small round pinnae and a faint lemon scent when brushed. It stays small, grows slowly and is far less messy indoors -- the sensible fern for a bookshelf.
Care at a glance
Boston Fern
Nephrolepis Exaltata, Sword Fern
Lush, feathery fronds that add a tropical feel. Needs consistent moisture and humidity.
Care in one line: Indirect light, keep moist, mist daily, high humidity.
Full Boston Fern care guide →
Lemon Button Fern
Nephrolepis Cordifolia Duffii
Compact fern with small round leaflets. Smells lemony when brushed.
Care in one line: Low to medium light, keep moist, more forgiving than most ferns.
Full Lemon Button Fern care guide →Boston Fern vs Lemon Button Fern: common questions
What is the difference between Boston Fern and Lemon Button Fern? +
The lemon button is a compact Boston fern relative with small round pinnae and a faint lemon scent when brushed. It stays small, grows slowly and is far less messy indoors -- the sensible fern for a bookshelf. On care, lemon Button Fern is rated easy to care for, Boston Fern medium. If this is an early houseplant or the spot is hard to get right, start with the Lemon Button Fern.
Which is easier to care for, Boston Fern or Lemon Button Fern? +
Lemon Button Fern. It is rated easy while Boston Fern is medium, and it is more forgiving about light and watering mistakes.
Is Boston Fern or Lemon Button Fern safe for cats and dogs? +
Both are safe. Boston Fern and Lemon Button Fern are each non-toxic to cats and dogs, so either works in a home with animals.
Which needs less light, Boston Fern or Lemon Button Fern? +
Lemon Button Fern. It scores 2/5 for light and fine a few metres back from a window. Boston Fern scores 3/5 and near a bright window, out of direct sun.
Which needs more water, Boston Fern or Lemon Button Fern? +
Boston Fern, at 4/5 - keep the soil evenly moist, never fully dry. Lemon Button Fern scores 3/5: water when the top 2-3 cm is dry, roughly weekly.
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