Overwintering Boston Ferns Indoors: Step-by-Step

As autumn paints the landscape in copper and gold, many gardeners face a familiar question: what to do with those lush, feathery Boston Ferns once temperatures dip?

Instead of letting Jack Frost claim them, bring those Nephrolepis exaltata 'Bostoniensis' beauties indoors for a well-deserved winter rest. With the right preparation and care, your container and hanging Boston Ferns can thrive inside until mother nature cues spring's return!

how to care for Boston Ferns indoors for the winter

These timeless, air-purifying houseplants don't just survive indoors! They refresh the air and fill your home with tropical texture. And the best part? Overwintered Boston Ferns return outdoors in spring, thicker and more vibrant than ever! Want to explore more varieties and Fern types? Visit our Growing Ferns Guide and see our roundup of the Best Ferns for Your Home.

When and Why to Bring Boston Ferns Indoors
Preparing Your Boston Fern for the Move Indoors
Choosing the Right Indoor Spot
Winter Watering and Feeding
Reviving and Moving Ferns Back Outdoors in Spring
Fronds Forever! The Joy of Wintering Boston Ferns

When and Why to Bring Boston Ferns Indoors

Native to the warm, humid forests of Florida, Mexico, Central and South America, these tropical Ferns earned their name in the late 1800s when a particularly graceful mutation was discovered in Boston, giving rise to the now-famous "Boston Fern".

caring for boston fern for the winter

These large Ferns may look resilient, but they're true tropicals at heart! Winter hardy in USDA zones 9 through 11, so once nighttime temperatures dip near 50°F, it's time to act. Cold drafts, chilly rain, or even brief exposure to frost can damage their tender fronds!

Before moving them, give your Fern a light trim to remove any yellowed or crispy leaves. This helps reduce stress and pest hiding spots. Avoid heavy pruning, just tidy things up for the indoor season.

A good rinse with lukewarm water helps wash off dust, pollen, and any hitchhikers that may have hitched a ride outdoors. Let the plant drip-dry before bringing it inside.

Preparing Your Boston Fern for the Move Indoors

Preparation is key to keeping these green giants happy through winter.

Inspect for pests: Check undersides of fronds and the soil surface for aphids, scale, or mealybugs. If found, wipe with a damp cloth or use insecticidal soap.
Clean and groom: Remove faded fronds and any debris from the pot.
Refresh the soil: Scrape off the top inch of old potting mix and replace it with fresh, high-quality indoor potting soil.
Repot if needed: If roots circle the base or the plant dries out too quickly, step it up one pot size.

This gentle spa treatment helps your Fern adjust to its new indoor rhythm.

Choosing the Right Indoor Spot

Boston Ferns crave bright, indirect light and moderate temperatures, ideally between 60°F and 75°F. Avoid direct sun that can scorch the fronds, and keep them away from heating vents or cold drafts.

Humidity is the secret ingredient to overwintering success! When indoor air gets dry, your fern feels it first. Here's how to keep that humidity sweet spot:

Mist the fronds daily or every other day with room-temperature water.
Place the pot on a pebble tray filled with water (without letting the roots sit in it).
Group houseplants together to create a microclimate of shared moisture. (Get inspired with our hardy container garden design ideas.)

Hanging Boston Ferns love being near east-facing windows, bathrooms with natural light, or even bright kitchens where humidity stays higher.

Winter Watering and Feeding

Your Fern's growth naturally slows during the cooler months, so adjust watering accordingly. Keep the soil lightly moist, never soggy. Let the top inch of soil dry slightly between waterings. Use the Finger Test to gauge moisture levels accurately.

Avoid fertilizing during winter dormancy. Once spring light lengthens and new growth appears, you can resume feeding with a diluted, balanced houseplant fertilizer every 4-6 weeks.

It's normal for a few fronds to yellow or drop during this adjustment. Simply snip them away to make room for fresh growth. With patience and consistent humidity, your Fern will stay lush all winter. (Learn more about winter indoor plant care.)

Reviving and Moving Ferns Back Outdoors in Spring

When warm weather returns and nighttime temperatures consistently stay above 55°F, it's time to reintroduce your fern to outdoor life.

Reverse the acclimation process:

Start in shade: Place your fern outside in a sheltered, shaded area for a few hours each day. (Visit our guide to shade perennials to pair them with compatible plants.)
Gradually increase exposure: Over 7–10 days, increase outdoor time and light exposure until it's fully adjusted.
Prune for renewal: Trim away old or tired fronds to encourage vigorous new growth.
Refresh the soil again: Add compost or top-dress with slow-release fertilizer before returning to full-time outdoor life.

Fronds Forever! The Joy of Wintering Boston Ferns

Bringing Boston Ferns indoors is a rewarding ritual that keeps a little slice of summer green through the long winter months. With proper humidity, gentle watering, and a bit of patience, your fern will rest, revive, and burst back into life come spring.

Let those lush fronds remind you that even during winter's dormancy, life quietly renews itself, ready to unfurl again when the light returns. You can also explore patio garden ideas for placing them outdoors next season.

Shop Boston Ferns

If you are starting fresh this season, or want a second Fern to overwinter alongside the first, these are the Boston Ferns we grow and ship potted and ready for a bright indoor spot.

Nephrolepis Exaltata Boston Fern

Nephrolepis Exaltata 'Petticoat' Boston Fern

Tiger Stripe Boston Fern in a 6 inch pot

Nephrolepis Exaltata 'Tiger Fern' Boston Fern

Looking for something different? Browse all of our indoor Houseplants.

Happy Planting!

Frequently Asked Questions

How to care for a boston fern indoors?

Place your Boston Fern in bright, indirect light away from heat sources and cold drafts, as these tropical plants are only winter hardy in USDA zones 9-11. Water when the top inch of soil feels dry, maintaining consistent moisture without waterlogging, and reduce feeding during winter months when growth naturally slows. Keep indoor humidity levels high by using a humidifier or placing the pot on a pebble tray with water. Monitor for yellowing fronds and trim them promptly to maintain plant health and appearance.

How cold can boston ferns tolerate?

Growth slows once nights fall below about 55 degrees, fronds begin to suffer in the low 40s, and frost scorches them outright. Boston Fern is rated for USDA zones 9 through 11, and even there a cold snap can burn foliage. The practical number to remember is 50: move the pot inside when nighttime lows approach 50 degrees, before the damage rather than after it. A fern that has already been frosted will usually drop most of its fronds even when the crown pulls through, so it is worth acting a few days early.

Can boston ferns live inside?

Yes, Boston Ferns thrive indoors as houseplants and make excellent air-purifying additions to your home. These tropical natives are only winter hardy in USDA zones 9-11, so bringing them inside when nighttime temperatures drop near 50°F is essential for their survival. Boston Ferns adapt well to indoor conditions and actually return outdoors in spring looking thicker and more vibrant than before. Choose a spot with bright, indirect light and maintain consistent moisture for best results.

How to overwinter boston ferns?

Treat it as a move rather than a season change. About a week before nights approach 50 degrees, check the undersides of the fronds and the soil surface for aphids, scale and mealybugs, and deal with anything you find rather than carrying it indoors with the plant. Trim yellowed or crispy fronds, then rinse the whole fern with lukewarm water and let it drip dry. Scrape off the top inch of old mix and replace it with fresh potting soil, stepping up one pot size only if roots are circling the base. Bring it into bright indirect light away from vents and drafts, and expect some frond drop for the first couple of weeks while it adjusts to the lower light.

How to care for ferns indoors in winter?

Boston Ferns thrive indoors during winter when placed in bright, indirect light away from heating vents and drafts. Water when the top inch of soil feels dry, maintaining consistent moisture without waterlogging, and reduce feeding to once monthly or stop altogether during dormancy. Before bringing ferns inside when temperatures approach 50°F, trim yellowed fronds and rinse with lukewarm water to remove pests and debris. Choose a humid location like a bathroom or use a humidifier to replicate their native tropical conditions.

Do boston ferns come back every year?

Yes. A Boston Fern is a long-lived perennial rather than an annual you replace each season, and a well-kept plant carries on for many years. What changes with climate is where it spends the winter. In USDA zones 9 through 11 it stays outside year round. Everywhere colder it comes back because you carried it in before frost, and it usually returns to the patio in spring fuller than it went in, since the winter rest and the spring trim both push fresh fronds from the crown.

Are boston ferns perennials?

Boston Ferns are perennials in their native tropical regions and USDA zones 9-11, where they can survive outdoors year-round. In colder zones, they're treated as seasonal plants unless brought indoors for winter protection. These tropical beauties will die back with the first frost but can live for many years when properly overwintered indoors. Bring your Boston Fern inside before nighttime temperatures drop to 50°F to ensure it returns as a thriving perennial next spring.

Do ferns come back?

It depends on the fern. Hardy garden ferns such as Ostrich Fern and Lady in Red die back to the ground after frost and return on their own each spring, which is why they are such reliable shade plants. Boston Fern is a different story: it is tropical, hardy only in USDA zones 9 through 11, and will not survive a freeze outdoors. In colder zones it comes back only if you bring it inside before nighttime temperatures approach 50 degrees, then move it back out after the last frost. So a hardy fern returns whether you help it or not, and a tropical fern returns because you overwintered it.

Will boston fern survive winter?

Outdoors in most of the country, no. Boston Fern is tropical and has essentially no frost tolerance, so a single hard freeze will take it, although the crown sometimes pushes new growth if the freeze was brief and shallow. Only zones 9 through 11 can leave one outside all winter, and even there a cold snap will burn the fronds. Indoors it survives winter easily in bright indirect light, which is why overwintering is the standard advice rather than treating the plant as disposable.

How to keep boston ferns over the winter?

Once it is inside, the enemy is dry air rather than cold. Give it bright indirect light, keep it well away from heat vents, and let the top inch of soil dry before watering, because growth slows and the plant drinks far less than it did in July. Stop fertilizing until spring. Run a humidifier, set the pot on a pebble tray, or group it with other houseplants, since indoor heating drops humidity to levels that brown frond tips faster than any watering mistake. Some frond drop through the winter is normal. Snip the tired ones and let the crown push fresh growth as the light lengthens.

Bringing Boston Ferns Indoors & Successfully Overwintering