---
title: Dwarf Boston fern in a terrarium | Glass Jar Garden
description: Dwarf Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata 'Fluffy Ruffles'): A dense, compact Boston fern. Keep the soil always damp. Needs light 2,500 to 10,000 lux, humidity...
url: https://glassjar.garden/guide/plants/nephrolepis-exaltata-dwarf/
---

Plants

# Dwarf Boston fern
Nephrolepis exaltata 'Fluffy Ruffles'

Easy · Fine in a closed jar

A dense, compact Boston fern. Keep the soil always damp.

## What the simulation uses

- Light: 2,500 to 10,000 lux (The brightness it grows well in.)

- Humidity: 60 to 90 % RH (Air moisture it is happy in; below the lower end it dries out.)

- Temperature: 16 to 24 °C (Comfortable range; outside it growth slows.)

- Dies at: below 2 or above 32 °C (Days beyond these temperatures kill it.)

- Soil pH: 5.5 to 6.5 pH (Soil acidity it prefers.)

- Grows up: 2 cm/month (How fast it gains height in good conditions.)

- Spreads: 2 cm/month (How fast its edge creeps outwards.)

- Copes with wet: fair (How well it stands soggy soil; poor means rot comes quickly.)

- Copes with still air: good (Sealed jars have still air; poor means grey mould finds it.)

- Copes with shade: good (How well it holds on in dim light.)

- Copes with drying: fair (How well it survives the jar drying out.)

- Water use: 0.11 ml/cm²/day (Water drawn up from its roots per cm² of leaves in room air; a sealed jar cuts this to a fraction and returns it down the glass.)

- Leaf drop: 5 %/month (Share of its leaves it sheds each month as litter for the cleanup crew.)

- Soft leaves: no (Soft new growth that hungry isopods will nibble.)

- Full size: 25 cm tall, 32.5 cm wide (Its size when grown, before the lid stops it.)

## Care

- Day length: 12 to 14 h

- Substrate: Moist

## What kills it

- drying out
- dry air
- waterlogging in cool conditions

## Description
Dwarf forms of the Boston fern stay small and bushy. They like air near 80 percent humidity, which suits a large closed tank. Runners keep it spreading, so it will outgrow a small jar.

Also called Fluffy Ruffles fern, 'Fluffy Duffy', 'Marissa', sword fern.

Estimated, where sources were thin: dwarf cultivar size; growth rates; ph.

## Sources

- [plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/nephrolepis-exaltata](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/nephrolepis-exaltata/)
- [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephrolepis_exaltata](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephrolepis_exaltata)

[Grow it in a jar](https://glassjar.garden/?guide=plants/nephrolepis-exaltata-dwarf)

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