If you’re looking for the very best attractive plant for your indoor décor, we recommend the fern. It is currently one of the most sought-after houseplants and gives you value for your money.
There are different species under the fern family; the most notable of them all is the Kimberly Queen Fern vs Boston Fern.
Over the years, the Kimberly queen fern has often been confused with the Boston fern because of their glaring similarities.
However, they are quite different given that the Boston fern possesses softer leaflets and more flexible fronds. In contrast, the Kimberly queen fern has stiffer fronds, making the silhouette sharper.
We will be discussing more the differences between Kimberly queen fern and Boston fern in this article.
Table of Contents
What is Kimberly Queen Fern?
The Kimberly Queen Fern has its origin in Australia, and because of its straight and narrow, elongated leaves, it is also known as the Sword Fern.
The Kimberly queen is a plant that makes a bold statement, irrespective of where it is planted, be it at home, office, or garden, coupled with the fact that it is easy to grow anywhere.
The sword fern has dynamic and amazing leaves that occupy any area; it is adorned with beautiful natural colors.
Meanwhile, it can survive in any area it is grown, whether as an indoor plant or outdoors. The plant thrives when receiving adequate sunlight and in a sheltered area under the right conditions.
However, it doesn’t end there as the plant is a rapid grower and develops into a full and attractive plant. You can plant it in containers, making for an amazing hanging basket.
The sword fern helps to reduce indoor air pollution and the likes of formaldehyde toxins in its dwelling place.
What is Boston Fern?
Also referred to as Wild Boston Fern or Fishbone Fern, Boston fern is one the hybrid of the fern family of Lomariopsidaceae. It is a perennial indoor plant that has its origins from the tropical regions in the world and is also made up of around 30 tropical kinds.
Boston fern is one of the most popular varieties of the fern family and can be utilized as a decorative plant for balconies, homes, or offices. It is also renowned for its rapid growth rate and being an easy maintenance plant, especially for beginners.
Boston fern grows best when exposed to adequate sunlight and frequent watering during the growing season because it does best in moisture and thrives in a cool environment that has high humidity.
It requires an adequate temperature of around 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, even though it can sometimes tolerate a lower temperature of about 50 degrees F.
The houseplant features green leaves of about 6 inches to 5ft in length. Its leaves possess an elliptical lining and are positioned alternately.
Once its leaves wilt or turn yellow, it is usually a symptom of excessive watering. Whenever the plant’s roots turn predominantly black, there’s no need to keep the plant any longer.
Kimberly Queen Fern Vs Boston Fern
The table below shows some of the key differences getween Kimberly Queen Fern and Boston Fern:
| Kimberly Queen Fern | Boston Fern |
| Its scientific name is Nephrolepis obliterata | Its scientific name is Nephrolepis exaltata |
| Also known as sword fern | Also known as fishbone fern |
| Can grow up to 3ft tall and wide | Can grow up to 2ft tall and 4ft wide |
| Requires direct sunlight & partial shade | Requires full shade and partial shade |
| During drought, it can be watered once every ten days | During drought, it can be watered once a week |
| Possess dark green leaves | Possess bright green leaves |
| Its leaves are stiff and sharp as well as grow uprightly. | Its leaves are soft and saggy, as well as prowls and sag when growing. |
Differences Between Kimberly Queen Fern and Boston Fern
As earlier discussed at the beginning of this article, you will struggle to see much in terms of differences between Kimberly queen fern and Boston fern.
The primary difference between them is that the latter features softer leaflets and more flexible leaves, making it appear fluffier yet messier.
On the other hand, Kimberly queen fern features a sharper silhouette, which results from stiffer leaves or fronds and is also smaller in size and darker in color than that of the Boston fern. Generally, Kimberly queen fern appears more expressive easier to maintain than Boston fern.
Again, due to the soft nature of Boston fern, the weight of the greenery can force it to bend. In other words, it can lie 3 to 4ft across, usually with a height of a maximum of 2ft.
Meanwhile, in Kimberly queen fern, you’ll find stiffer fronds, thereby making the plant grow more uprightly, with a length and width of about 3ft.
Also, the Kimberly queen fern can tolerate direct and full sun, contrary to Boston fern. In other words, Kimberly is not scared of sunburn, neither is it scared of full shade.
However, just as it is with other houseplants, the best condition remains partial or indirect sunlight. When given sufficient light, it grows much quicker than Boston fern.
Kimberly queen fern stands a better chance of surviving the drought period than the Boston fern, as it is native to Australia; thus, making it get used to hot and dry weather conditions.
Again, the Boston fern has more cultivars than the Kimberly queen fern, as it comes from the Nephrolepis exaltata species, which has several varieties and lighter leaves.
Is Kimberly Queen Fern Similar to Boston Fern?
In as much as there are obvious differences between Kimberly queen fern and Boston fern, you can still find some similarities between both species, which is why most gardeners, especially beginners, confuse one for the other.
Having said that, what is/are the cause(s) of this confusion, or how are both plants similar?
First, let’s start with their hardiness zones. Both Kimberly and Boston possess a similar USDA Hardiness zone of 9-11. In terms of height during their mature stage, there’s not much difference as they both can both grow up to approximately 3ft tall and wide.
Even though Kimberly queen fern grows more quickly than the Boston fern, it is important to note that both plants are rapid growers. In other words, they both possess a fast growth rate.
Both also require indirect sunlight for effective growth. They both need moist and drained soil with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. They are both prone to insects and fungus disease.
What's Good about Kimberly Queen Fern?
The Kimberly Queen fern can survive more sun than Boston fern and can produce an enormous growth rate every year.
It doesn’t end there, though, as it can also survive indoor conditions, especially for those gardeners that want to overwinter them. For this plant, mulching is indeed necessary.
What's Good About Boston Fern?
It is quite simple!!! Boston ferns are great when grown in hanging baskets or on plant stands since they possess soft yet vibrant green leaves/fronds, as opposed to that of Kimberly fern that is more rigid and better in pots along a pathway or entrance.
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