Lemon Button Fern

Name: Lemon Button Fern
Brand: MyGreenScape
SKU: PL0114S
Price: 12.0 CAD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.0 (1 reviews)

Lemon Button Fern

$12

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Size 4" Pot - Small 5" Pot - Medium

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About This Plant

Lemon Button Fern (Nephrolepis cordifolia Duffii) is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Australia, and the Americas. It produces arching fronds and stays compact, reaching 30 to 45 cm tall, and suits desks, shelves, and bathroom windowsills.

It releases a fresh lemon scent when the fronds are touched. The lemon fragrance is consistent, and noticeable when you run your hand through the fronds. It is not a subtle background scent but a fresh citrus release from the foliage itself.

Safe for cats and dogs. The ASPCA confirms Nephrolepis spp. is non-toxic to cats and dogs. Lemon Button Fern is confirmed pet-safe. The Crocodile Fern is another confirmed pet-safe fern with a completely different bold textured frond for comparison.

The tiny round leaflets are compact than a Boston Fern and fit smaller spaces. It suits a desk, a narrow bathroom shelf, or a small hanging basket where a Boston Fern would quickly outgrow the space.

Winter Slowdown

Growth slows from November onward. The Lemon Button Fern is vulnerable to dry forced-air heating. Keep temperatures above 15 degrees C, soil consistently moist, and a pebble tray or humidifier nearby. No fertilizer until spring.

Toxicity

Non-toxic to cats and dogs, confirmed by the ASPCA (Nephrolepis spp.). Safe for homes with pets and small children.

Pests

Spider mites are common pests from November to March. The tiny round leaflets make early mite detection harder. Shake a frond over white paper and look for small moving dots. Scale insects occasionally appear on the main frond stems.

Other Plants You Might Like

Not sure this is the right fit? Here are three other plants our Canadian customers love. All ship across Canada and thrive in Canadian homes.

Green Fantasy Fern. Compact, feathery, pet-safe.

For a similarly compact, fine-textured pet-safe fern without the lemon scent, the Green Fantasy Fern has dense feathery fronds and handles moderate Canadian indoor humidity well.

Crocodile Fern. Bold texture, pet-safe.

For a pet-safe fern with a very different bold, deeply ridged, crocodile-skin frond texture on a larger scale, the Crocodile Fern handles moderate humidity and suits the same bright indirect indoor positions.

Heart Fern. Miniature and pet-safe.

For the smallest and most contained pet-safe fern available, with perfectly heart-shaped leaves on wiry black stems, the Heart Fern suits terrariums and very small shelf positions.

Common Questions

Does it actually smell like lemon?

Yes. The lemon scent is genuine and consistent. It is released from the foliage when the fronds are touched, brushed, or lightly crushed. The fragrance is fresh and citrusy rather than perfumed. It is not constant in the air but triggers immediately on contact. Running your hand along a healthy frond produces a clear, distinct lemon scent every time.

Why are the round leaflets on the outer fronds going brown and crispy?

Brown, crispy leaflets on the outer frond tips are caused by dry air from forced-air heating, which is the most common challenge for Lemon Button Fern in Canadian homes from November to March. The tiny round leaflets lose moisture faster than larger fern leaflets. Move it away from any heating vent, keep the soil consistently moist, and place it on a pebble tray. A bathroom with a nearby window provides natural humidity from daily steam and is one of the best positions for this fern in a Canadian home.

Is Lemon Button Fern safe for cats and dogs?

Yes. The ASPCA confirms Nephrolepis spp. is non-toxic to cats and dogs. Lemon Button Fern is confirmed pet-safe for homes with pets and small children.

How is it different from a Boston Fern?

Both are Nephrolepis species but with key differences. The Boston Fern has larger, longer leaflets and grows into a significantly larger, wider plant that can spread 60 to 90 cm across. The Lemon Button Fern has much smaller, rounder button-like leaflets and stays compact, reaching 30 to 45 cm. The most important difference is scent: the Lemon Button Fern has a distinct lemon fragrance when touched; the Boston Fern has no notable scent.

What is the best position for it in a Canadian home?

A bright bathroom or kitchen window is ideal. The daily steam from showers and cooking provides ambient humidity that significantly reduces the browning that dry heated air causes from November to March. If a bathroom position is not available, a bright east-facing shelf with a pebble tray nearby is the next best option. Read our guide to light requirements for indoor plants to find the right spot.

How to take care of Lemon Button Fern

Good to Know

Sun: Indirect

Medium to bright indirect light. An east-facing window works well. As a forest understorey fern it handles lower light reasonably. Direct sun scorches the delicate round leaflets immediately.

Light: Medium to bright indirect

A bright bathroom window or east-facing shelf works year-round in a Canadian home. From October to February, the humidity challenge is more significant for this plant than the light challenge.

Water: Keep soil consistently moist

Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Check every two to three days in spring and summer. Every three to five days in Canadian winter. The tiny leaflets dry out and brown faster than large-leaved ferns when the soil dries out even briefly. Our

Humidity: Moderate to high

The dry forced-air heating in Ontario and Quebec homes from November to March is the biggest challenge for this fern. A pebble tray is the minimum. A bathroom position with natural steam is ideal. A small humidifier nearby works well for any other position.

Pet Friendly: Yes

Non-toxic to cats and dogs, confirmed by the ASPCA (Nephrolepis spp.). Safe for homes with pets and small children.

Pro Tip

Place it in a bright bathroom. The steam from daily showers maintains the ambient humidity the fern needs without much effort. If the bathroom has no natural light, a small grow light makes the setup complete.

What To Expect

Shipping and Delivery Details

Choose local GTA delivery, free Richmond Hill pickup, or shipping across Canada. Pick your delivery or pickup date at checkout, we'll have it ready and fresh for you. See full shipping and delivery details.

30-Day Happy Plant Guarantee

If your plant arrives damaged or isn't healthy, contact us within 30 days with a photo. We'll send a replacement or a full refund, and we cover return shipping.

View our complete guarantee policy

Frequently Asked Questions

Certainly! If you're pondering about ordering plants online, you're not alone. We've compiled the most frequently asked questions. Check out our FAQ section here for quick answers! Happy planting!

Plant and Pot Size Guide

4" Pot (Small): plant is approx. 6-10 inches tall. 6" Pot (Medium): approx. 12-18 inches tall. All plants come in a standard nursery pot. Decorative pots are sold separately.

Winter Shipping Protection

Between November and March, you can add Winter Shipping Protection at checkout. It adds insulated packaging and heat packs to protect your plant from the cold in transit. Cold damage is only covered if it's added to your order.

You can add winter shipping protection at checkout.

Returns Policy

If your plant arrives damaged, has pests, or starts to decline within 30 days, we'll send a replacement or a full refund, and we cover return shipping.

Change of mind, repotted or trimmed plants, and cold damage without Winter Shipping Protection aren't covered. See our full Return Policy

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