Best Ferns for Hanging Baskets

Boston fern is the classic hanging-basket fern for a reason: it grows fast, arches over the rim and fills a 10- to 12-inch basket in a single season. But it is not the only choice, and it is not always the best one. Kimberly Queen handles more sun, rabbit’s foot fern shrugs off dry indoor air better, and asparagus fern survives the kind of neglect that crisps a Boston fern in a week. The right pick depends on whether the basket hangs on a shady porch, a bright sunroom or a dim bathroom, and on how often you are willing to water.

Part of our Houseplants & Container Gardening guide →

In this guide

1. What Makes a Fern Good for a Hanging Basket
2. The 10 Best Ferns for Hanging Baskets
3. Choosing the Right Basket and Mix
4. Watering, Feeding and Humidity
5. Light and Placement
6. Overwintering Porch Ferns
7. Common Problems
8. Mixing Ferns With Other Plants
9. Frequently Asked Questions

What Makes a Fern Good for a Hanging Basket

A fern earns its place in a basket when its fronds arch or trail rather than stand upright, when it fills out from the center, and when it can handle the faster drying and wind exposure that come with hanging. Upright ferns such as ostrich fern or cinnamon fern look awkward overhead and get top-heavy. The best basket ferns share a few traits:

• Arching or cascading fronds, so the basket reads as a ball of green from below.
• A dense crown or creeping rhizomes that fill the pot.
• Reasonable tolerance of drying out between waterings, because a basket will dry out on hot days no matter how careful you are.
• A mature size that suits 8- to 14-inch baskets.

For broader care of baskets of all kinds, from flowers to herbs, see our hanging basket care guide. This article sticks to the ferns themselves and how to set them up, and our houseplants and container gardening guide covers the wider basics of growing in pots.

The 10 Best Ferns for Hanging Baskets

Fern	Light	Best spot	Watering need	Size in basket
Boston fern	Bright shade	Shady porch, bright room	High	2 to 3 ft wide
Kimberly Queen fern	Part shade to some sun	Porch, patio	Medium-high	2 to 3 ft wide
Macho fern	Shade to part sun	Large porch baskets	High	3 to 4 ft wide
Rabbit’s foot fern	Bright indirect	Indoors, covered porch	Medium	1 to 2 ft wide
Asparagus fern	Part sun to shade	Porch or indoors	Low-medium	1.5 to 3 ft trailing
Maidenhair fern	Bright indirect	Bathroom, humid porch	High, even moisture	1 to 1.5 ft
Button fern	Bright indirect	Indoors	Low-medium	1 ft
Bird’s nest fern	Medium to bright indirect	Indoors	Medium	1 to 2 ft
Lemon button fern	Bright indirect	Small indoor baskets	Medium	1 ft
Staghorn fern	Bright indirect	Mounted or wire basket	Low-medium	1 to 3 ft

1. Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata ‘Bostoniensis’)

The porch fern most people picture. Fronds arch 2 to 3 feet and the plant fills a basket quickly. It wants bright shade outdoors, constant light moisture and decent humidity. Indoors in winter it tends to drop leaflets in dry, heated air, which is why many gardeners treat it as a summer porch plant. Our full Boston fern care guide covers overwintering and shedding.

2. Kimberly Queen fern (Nephrolepis obliterata)

The best choice if the basket catches morning sun or a few hours of filtered afternoon light. Fronds are more upright and stiffer than Boston fern, giving a fountain shape rather than a weeping one. It sheds far less and tolerates heat and brief dry spells better. It is hardy outdoors only in roughly zones 9 to 11.

3. Macho fern (Nephrolepis biserrata)

If you want a basket that reads from the street, this is it. Fronds can reach 3 to 4 feet, so use a 14-inch or larger basket and a sturdy hook. It needs plenty of water in summer and shade from hot afternoon sun.

4. Rabbit’s foot fern (Davallia species)

Grown as much for its fuzzy, creeping rhizomes as its lacy fronds. The rhizomes crawl over the rim and down the sides of the basket, which looks striking at eye level. It tolerates average indoor humidity better than most ferns and prefers a slightly drier root zone. Do not bury the rhizomes.

5. Asparagus fern (Asparagus densiflorus ‘Sprengeri’)

Technically not a true fern, but it fills the same role and is far tougher. Trailing stems spill 2 to 3 feet, it handles part sun, and its tuberous roots store water, so a missed watering is forgiven. Wear gloves when handling, since the stems have small thorns, and note that the berries are toxic to pets.

6. Maidenhair fern (Adiantum species)

The most delicate-looking choice, with black wiry stems and tiny fan-shaped leaflets. It needs consistently moist soil and high humidity, so it suits a bathroom with a bright window or a sheltered, humid porch. Let it dry out once and fronds crisp almost overnight.

7. Button fern (Pellaea rotundifolia)

Small, round leathery leaflets on arching stems. It is unusual among ferns in preferring to dry slightly between waterings, which makes it a good small indoor basket for people who tend to underwater.

8. Bird’s nest fern (Asplenium nidus)

Its wide, glossy, undivided fronds radiate from a central rosette. In a basket it looks like a green bowl from below rather than a cascade. Water around the crown, not into it, to avoid rot.

9. Lemon button fern (Nephrolepis cordifolia ‘Duffii’)

A compact Boston fern relative with tiny rounded leaflets and a faint citrus scent when brushed. It fits 6- to 8-inch baskets in kitchens and bathrooms.

10. Staghorn fern (Platycerium species)

Staghorns are epiphytes and do best on a board or in an open wire basket packed with sphagnum moss rather than potting soil. They are a showpiece for a covered porch in warm climates or a bright room. Water by soaking the moss, then let it drain fully.

Choosing the Right Basket and Mix

Ferns in baskets fail most often from drying out, so the container matters as much as the plant.

• Size up. A 12-inch basket holds noticeably more water than a 10-inch one, and the difference shows on hot days. Macho and large Boston ferns need 14 inches or more.
• Pick the liner on purpose. Coco-fiber liners look natural and drain well but dry quickly. Plastic baskets or a coco liner with a plastic sheet tucked inside the lower third hold moisture longer.
• Consider a reservoir. A self-watering basket buys a day or two of slack in summer heat. Our roundup of the best self-watering hanging baskets compares styles that work well with thirsty ferns.
• Use a peat- or coir-based potting mix with some perlite. Skip garden soil, which gets heavy and compacts in a basket.
• Check the hanger. A fully watered 12-inch fern basket can weigh far more than it looks. Use a hook rated for the load and screwed into a joist or solid beam, not just trim.

Watering, Feeding and Humidity

Water until it runs out of the bottom, then let the top half-inch of mix dry before watering again. In midsummer on a breezy porch, that can mean every day. A good test is to lift the basket: a dry basket is dramatically lighter than a wet one.

If the root ball dries out completely, water poured on top just runs down the sides. Take the basket down and soak it in a bucket of water for 20 to 30 minutes until bubbles stop, then let it drain.

Feed lightly. Ferns are not heavy feeders, and too much fertilizer burns frond tips. A balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength every four weeks from spring through summer is plenty. Stop feeding in fall and winter.

Outdoors, humidity usually takes care of itself in shade. Indoors, group basket ferns near other plants, hang them in a bathroom or kitchen, or run a humidifier in winter. Misting looks nice but its effect lasts only minutes.

Light and Placement

Outdoors, the ideal spot for most basket ferns is a covered porch facing north or east, where they get bright reflected light but little direct sun. Kimberly Queen and asparagus fern handle a couple of hours of morning sun. Afternoon sun in summer scorches nearly all of them.

Indoors, hang ferns within a few feet of an east or north window, or set back from a bright south or west window. A fern that keeps dropping leaflets or producing pale, stretched fronds usually needs more light. A fern with bleached or crispy patches usually needs less direct sun.

Keep baskets away from heating vents and drafty doors in winter. Blasts of dry air are a major cause of the brown, shedding look people associate with indoor ferns. For a wider list of ferns and other plants suited to growing inside, our guide to indoor ferns goes further.

Overwintering Porch Ferns

Boston, Kimberly Queen and macho ferns are tropical. In most of the US they are grown as summer porch plants. You have three options in fall:

1. Bring the basket indoors before nights fall below about 50°F. Trim back about a third of the fronds, check for pests, and hang it in the brightest cool room you have. Expect some shedding as it adjusts.
2. Store it dormant. Cut fronds back hard, keep the basket in a cool, bright garage or basement that stays above freezing, and water just enough to keep the roots from drying out completely. Resume normal care in spring.
3. Compost it and buy fresh next spring. Many gardeners choose this for Boston ferns, which are inexpensive and grow quickly.

In zones 9 to 11, Kimberly Queen and macho ferns can stay outside year-round in a sheltered spot, with a frost cloth on the rare cold nights.

Common Problems

Brown, crispy fronds

Usually underwatering or low humidity. Check the basket daily and consider a larger or self-watering container.

Shedding leaflets everywhere

A Boston fern trait, made worse by dry air and low light indoors. Kimberly Queen sheds much less.

Yellowing fronds at the center

Often overwatering or a pot that has filled with roots. Ferns that have outgrown their basket can be divided in spring.

Pests

Scale, mealybugs and spider mites show up most on indoor ferns. Wipe off scale and mealybugs with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. Increase humidity and rinse the fronds in the shower for mites. Test any spray on a few fronds first, since ferns can be sensitive to oils and soaps.

Mixing Ferns With Other Plants

Ferns work well as the filler in a mixed shade basket. Pair Boston or Kimberly Queen with trailing plants that like the same conditions, such as creeping jenny, trailing begonias or fuchsia. Keep sun-lovers like petunias out of fern baskets, since one will always be unhappy. If you want a sunny basket instead, our guide to petunia hanging baskets is the better starting point.