Nephrolepis obliterata — the upright, tidy fern that survives a shaded Arizona patio in summer when Boston ferns brown out. Full shade, daily water in the heat, and it stays green.
Boston ferns are the classic porch fern and, in the low desert, a classic disappointment: by July they are half brown. Kimberly Queen is the Australian cousin that holds up. Its fronds are stiffer, more upright and less prone to shedding, it tolerates heat and drying wind better, and it stays a tidy sword shape rather than sprawling. It is the fern we recommend for a covered entry, a north-side porch or a shaded patio corner.
It still wants what ferns want — full shade, a lot of water in summer, and a move indoors or under cover for frost — but it forgives the lapses that kill a Boston fern. The rest of the bench is on our Houseplants page.
This is the kimberly queen fern we commonly carry. Availability changes week to week and season to season, so call (480) 987-3308 or stop in to see what’s on the bench today.
Upright, sword-shaped fronds in deep green on a full, compact plant that reaches about three feet. Full shade outdoors, bright indirect light indoors, daily water in summer heat.
Looking for one that isn’t listed? Ask — we can usually suggest a close match or tell you when it tends to come around.
The care tag was written somewhere else. This is the Queen Creek version.
Outdoors in Queen Creek, no direct sun at all: a covered porch, a north wall, under a dense tree. Even morning sun in summer browns the fronds. Indoors it wants the brightest indirect light you have — near an east window or filtered south light — and it thins out in a dim room.
Kimberly Queen tolerates dry air better than other ferns, but it still browns at the edges in the hot, dry wind of May and June. Choose a sheltered corner, mist in the driest weeks, and set the basket where the air is still. Indoors, keep it away from AC and heater vents and stand it on a pebble tray.
Bring it inside, or under a covered patio against the house, when nights drop toward 40°F; frost blackens the fronds. Indoors over winter it wants bright light, less water and no heater vent. Cut off any browned fronds at the base in early spring and it refills quickly.
A basket outdoors from May through September needs water every day, sometimes twice on 110°F days, until it runs through. In spring and fall, every two or three days; indoors, when the top inch is dry, every four to six days. Never let it dry out completely — the fronds brown from the tips and don’t green up again. Filtered water reduces tip burn from our hard tap water.
A peat- or coir-based mix that holds moisture but drains, in a basket or pot with a hole. Repot in spring when roots fill the container, one size up. Feed a balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength every three to four weeks from March through September; ferns burn easily, so never full strength.
Non-toxic to cats and dogs. Scale and mealybugs on the frond undersides; treat with insecticidal soap, not oil. Remove brown fronds at the base and rotate the basket monthly so it fills evenly.
Yellowing, spots, no new growth — snap a photo of the plant and its window and we’ll diagnose it at the bench. Advice is free.
We stock indoor potting mix, orchid bark and perlite for the chunky blends aroids and epiphytes want, balanced houseplant fertilizers, insecticidal soap and neem for the usual mealybug and mite visits, and moss poles, hoops and saucers. The pottery yard has terracotta, glazed and lightweight pots from 4-inch up, plus hanging baskets and cache pots.
It has stiffer, more upright fronds that shed less, tolerates heat and drying wind better, and stays tidy. In the low desert a Boston fern usually browns out by midsummer; a Kimberly Queen in full shade with daily water stays green.
Every day for a basket outdoors, sometimes twice on the hottest days, until water runs through. Indoors, when the top inch is dry, every four to six days.
No. Full shade outdoors — a covered porch, north wall or dense tree. Even morning sun browns it in summer.
Yes, Kimberly Queen fern is non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Move it indoors to a bright spot, or under cover against the house, before nights drop toward 40°F. Water less. Trim brown fronds in early spring.
It dried out, or hot dry wind reached it, or it is sitting near a vent. Water more consistently, move it somewhere still and shaded, and use filtered water.
Kimberly Queen Fern live on the houseplant bench; any staff member can point you to them. Locally owned, and a short drive from San Tan Valley, Gilbert, Chandler and Mesa.