If you like ferns as houseplants and want something easier to care for than the Boston fern, you may want to get a Lemon Button fern, (Nephrolepsis cordifolia), sometimes sold as a “Duffy” fern. Humidifiers provide the ideal solution, but some people are put off by the high cost of purchasing the equipment and the energy it takes to run a humidifier all the time. Delicate Lemon Button Fern (Nephrolepis cordifolia ‘Duffii’) has airy fronds of bright green, and the foliage has a light, lemony smell when crushed. Place them near a north-facing window, and move them to an east-facing window in winter. Lemon button fern. Also called the Cliff Brake, the Button Fern naturally grows on limestone cliffs and rock faces. To check if that happened to you, take a pencil and stick it up the drainage hole. This quality explains the fitting choice of name for the fern. This fern thrives in soil that is a mix of peat moss and potting soil. Lemon Butter Fern. If you are also having trouble with an indoor fern, be encouraged- usually, once ferns become acclimated & have the appropriate needs, they do very well indoors! Make sure to keep your button fern in a humid environment (ideally, in 50 percent humidity). Mature lemon button fern leaves die naturally when the autumn and winter rolls around. Provide a regular, balanced, liquid fertilizer for the indoor plant once every week during spring and summer, and then withhold fertilizer during fall and winter. The Lemon Button Fern likes low light, filtered shade. Exposing the plant to direct sun for too long will burn the plant and cause the leaves to turn brown. Handle its foliage and other living elements carefully! Dry soil can cause wilting and eventual drying out, while wet soil causes yellowing and may result in root rot. Apply diatomaceous earth by distributing the gritty powder in a 1/2-inch wide ring around the plant. The duffi fern is a compact plant compared to the standard nephrolepis cordifolia. Above: See more growing tips for a lemon button fern at Best Houseplants: 9 Indoor Plants for Low Light. Lemon Button Fern Sunlight Requirements. Creating a visually interesting landscape using ferns is popular in gardens or the home. Even as a houseplant, it prefers to dry out a bit between waterings and likes less misting than other ferns. This much fertilizer can burn a fern, causing the fronds to turn brown and dry out. Make sure it … Alternatively, use diatomaceous earth; it is often effective because it lacerates the slugs' soft skin, which results in death by dehydration. When temperatures are above 75 degrees Fahrenheit you may have to water frequently to keep the soil moist to touch. When gently rubbed or brushed the fronds give off a slight lemony scent. Lemon Button ferns have golden –green arching fronds with tiny rounded leaves … Rabbit's foot fern (Davallia fejeensis, zones 10 through 12) and Japanese holly fern (Cyrtomium falcatum, zones 6 through 10) are exceptions that like the soil to dry slightly before watering. It can be a perfect table topper in creative pots or a hanging ornament in baskets. This adaptable plant tolerates sea air and salty soil. Other sources of stress can cause brown leaves, such as overfertilization and transplant shock, as well as normal causes such as acclimation or aging foliage. It also smells slightly lemony! The Duffi Fern or Lemon Button Fern has a faint citrus fragrance when handled hence the name. Without adequate humidity, the fronds turn brown and dry. Ferns with thick leaves, such as the bird's nest fern (Asplenium nidus), tolerate dryer air than lacy-leaved ferns. Feed the fern once every six months using a time-released fertilizer with a balanced ratio, such as 13-13-13 fertilizer. The nephrolepis cordifolia duffi variety is also commonly called duffi fern or lemon button fern. Lemon Button Fern The old expression “cute as a button” takes on new meaning with Lemon Button fern. Lemon button fern likes frequent generous watering. Mix fertilizer for your fern at half-strength, which is one-half tablespoon of granules or 5 to 10 drops of liquid per gallon of water, and use it only once a month from April through September. Lemon buttons ferns thrive in moist, well-drained, acidic soil with a pH of 4 to 7. Keep the water level in the tray below the top of the pebbles so that the fern isn't sitting directly in the water. So…other than watering only when the dirt is getting a little dry, you need to spray the fern fronds with water every few days to … Plant in a space that has indirect sunlight or filtered light. Any room with humidity is beneficial for the Lemon Button Fern. In this case repotting it straight away can be an unnecessary shock for the plant. You can create a moist microclimate around your fern by filling a tray with pebbles and water and placing the fern on top of it. Her home-and-garden and nature articles have appeared in "Birds & Blooms" and "Alamance Today." Soak dried-out pots in a bucket of water that comes just above the rim of the pot for about 15 minutes to restore the soil moisture. Can I Leave My Boston Fern Outside If it Is 46 Degrees? Place it near the bright light of a south-facing window, but out of the direct reach of the sun's rays. Frequent misting helps, but it isn't enough to solve the problem of dry air. Place the fern in semi-shade, and water it as needed to keep the potting mixture moist but never soggy. The lemon button fern's name matches how cute it looks. It reaches a height of about 4″ to 12″ inches. Growing to only 12 inches tall, lemon buttons fern is named for its demure size and rounded leaflets. And the best news is with a little bit of attention, ferns aren’t that tricky to look after. Add more water to the tray whenever it dries out. Provide warm temperatures (60 ° F and above). Spread a layer of mulch around the plant in spring, and apply a fresh layer in autumn. #2 The Lemon Button Fern. Bird's nest ferns can only tolerate winters outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 11 and 12, but you can grow them indoors anywhere. This is a dense herbaceous evergreen houseplant with a shapely form and gracefully arching foliage. You can prune them in early spring before the new growth begins, or even when the new growth comes in. Most ferns scald in bright sunlight. Lemon buttons fern is suitable for growing indoors. Unique: Ferns are vascular plants that reproduce through spores and do not have seeds or flowers. Details. As the water evaporates, it keeps the air in the immediate area moist. This plant is not to be confused with the lemon button fern which is a completely different plant (Nephrolepsis cordifolia). Native to Asia and Australia, the Lemon Button fern (Nephrolepis cordifolia) is a great fern to grow indoors. Definitely no direct afternoon sun for this little guy! Although this plant has soft fleshy stems and tiny round leaves that resemble a fern, it is technically not a fern at all but a member of the Pilea family and very easy to grow. Adorned with tiny round-like leaves, button fern is a small ground fern naturally found in the forest. Lemon buttons fern (Nephrolepis cordifolia "Lemon Buttons") is a kind of Southern sword fern, a wood fern that thrives in shady woodland areas. Boston ferns can grow outdoors in USDA zones 9 through 11. Ferns need high humidity to grow healthy, green fronds. Named for both the button-like leaves and the lemony aroma of the plant, these woodland ferns do best in cool, shady areas, which is perfect for an indoor plant. How to Transplant an Overgrown Boston Fern, Monrovia: Fishbone Fern (Nephrolepis Cordifolia), Clemson Cooperative Extension: Hardy Ferns, Native Plants Hawaii: Nephrolepis Cordifolia, Cal's Plant of the Week, University of Oklahoma Department of Botany and Microbiology: Nephrolepis Cordifolia -- Fishbone Fern, Polypodiaceae, North Dakota State University Extension: Questions on Slugs. Below 60 degrees, wait until the surface of the soil is dry. Water: Water thoroughly and allow the top 1-2cm of soil dry out before watering again.Never let the soil become completely dry. Dilute the fertilizer to one-half the strength recommended on the fertilizer container. Jackie Carroll has been a freelance writer since 1995. Direct sunlight will burn the edges of the leaves and too much water will turn the leaves yellow. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. M.H. As the Kokedama ages, the fronds become denser and blend beautifully with the green moss. 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