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Boston Fern is a surprisingly beneficial houseplant as it is proved by the latest research done by NASA. Boston Fern is an easy plant to grow. It is a terrific indoor as well as outdoor plant.
More precisely, Boston fern has some basic benefits just like other regular plants, including some extra benefits that are rare to find in other plants.
The Boston fern from NASA’s latest study is one of the best air purifying plants.
Other benefits of the Boston Fern are that it improves humidity, absorbs noise up to 2000 Hz, acts as a therapeutic plant and removes formaldehyde, Xylene, cigarette smoke and Toluene.
The Boston fern removes hazardous chemicals, such as remove formaldehyde, Xylene, and Toluene
The scientific or botanical name of Boston fern is Nephrolepis Exaltata, and it is commonly known as ladder fern or boss fern.
A mature Boston fern grows up to 3 ft in height and Boston ferns like temperatures between 65F-95F but will tolerate lower temperatures if grown outside. A Boston fern doesn’t show adequate growth either in extremely high or low temperatures.
The growing period of Boston fern is spring to fall, so it’s better to add fertilizer in that period.
It’s likes moist soil, so water it whenever the soil gets dry. The Boston fern is very easy to take care of as it doesn’t require checks every day but only once a week.
Do you need a more elaborated answer for your Boston fern? Are you confused about Boston fern? Will it be beneficial for your environment whether it’s your home or office?
Let’s get the answer of what, how, and why are Boston ferns are beneficial for our environment.
Boston Fern Benefits
Many different Boston fern benefits have been found out over time. Out of many, three of them are very significant to your everyday life.
Boston ferns improve humidity, absorb noise, and acting as therapeutic plant. Let’s uncover the inside information of Boston fern.
1) Improves humidity
Studies have shown that Boston fern benefits by maintaining or improving the humidity level of the environment. Boston fern likes moist soil for growth.
You have to give it enough water to thrive properly and in return, it will improve the humidity around you.
It is the natural process by the Boston fern. Boston fern neither thrives nor gives any benefit in full shade or bright direct light.
Both conditions not only distort the appearance of the plant, but also disturb the whole mechanical process of the plant.
Due to this characteristic of the Boston fern, it can help people who have dry skin, noses, or throat problems. It helps to maintain a balanced air around you.
We have an article on what is the ideal humidity for a Boston fern.
2) Absorbs noise
Plants are considered a great source to remove or lessen the noise. Many people even use plants to create a non-noise or peaceful environment in their homes or offices.
Many types of research have been done to prove this factor. The general way to explain this mechanism is that plants have strong structural bonding which tends to absorb the sound within it as well as it blocks the sound.
This research has been done on many plants including, the Boston fern, Golden Pothos, and Spider plant. And this research has introduced one more Boston fern benefit to us.
According to the research, Boston fern can efficiently absorb the sound up to 2000 Hz. This makes the Boston fern a great addition to your home to give you peace and quiet on those.
If your house is located near the main road and you are looking for an easy way to reduce the noise. Then the Boston fern might be the right choice for you.
If you are enjoying this article, check out our article on how to stop your Boston fern leaves curling.
3) Act as therapeutic plant
The paper published in 2017 has proved the fact that plants are therapeutic for patients. People who have depression, anxiety, and many other reasons of unhappiness, with the help of Horticultural therapy, show recovery.
The Boston fern with its greenish foliage adds an optimistic air to your environment just like many other plants. Plants are always used in therapy clinics to improve the well-being of people, and they also show a positive impact on them.
Placing Boston ferns in your home or office will help you to balance your mood as well as it will keep a happy and peaceful mind and body.
4) Purifies Air
The Boston fern is an evergreen plant and due to its greenish foliage, it has multiple benefits. The primary and the most significant benefit of Boston fern is the air-purifying agent.
Boston ferns benefits the environment whether its indoors or outdoors by removing the toxic and polluted pigments from it’s surroundings.
Out of many plants, the Boston fern has a rare quality due to it acting as an air-purifying agent. Air purifying agent means that it takes out toxic chemicals from around us and absorbs them within itself.
By performing such a process, Boston fern cleans the air for us to breathe properly.
Precisely, Boston fern takes three toxic chemicals from the environment which are formaldehyde, Xylene, and Toluene.
5) Removes formaldehyde
The health benefits of Boston fern is that it helps to remove formaldehyde from the environment. Are you thinking that what is formaldehyde?
Formaldehyde is the methanal gas, released from smoke – forest fires, smoking & cooking. It is also found in automobile exhausts and construction material.
As the matter of fact, formaldehyde is a very common indoor air pollutant. It is hazardous to our health but we become inhabited with this gas. We can’t remove the source of the formaldehyde as it is released.
To overcome formaldehyde in your environment, Boston fern plays a beneficial role. As Boston fern benefits the environment by removing formaldehyde and purifying the air for us.
6) Removes Xylene
Xylene is another indoor air pollution. How would there be Xylene in our homes? Primarily, Xylene is produced from petroleum, but in our home, it is released by wooden furniture and paints.
If you have a good ventilation system in your home, then xylene will not affect you at the extreme level. But in case, you don’t have the path for the fresh air to pass in your living or any other room then it might be troublesome for you.
In that case, you can plant or have a Boston fern and enjoy its benefit. Boston fern easily absorbs the xylene from the air and helps the environment to be xylene-free.
7) Removes Toluene
Toluene is a very dangerous chemical and unfortunately, it is also considered indoor air pollutant. According to the study that a higher amount of toluene will cause serious health damage.
At home, it can be found in paints used as a solvent in paints, synthetic fragrances, beauty nail products, inks, and cleaning agents.
But according to NASA research, the Boston fern is one of the plants that absorbs the toluene within itself and act as an air-purifying agent for us. Planting a Boston fern in-home or office will show you its positive effects.
Final Thoughts
Boston fern likes a little cozy environment and shows favorable growth in humid conditions. If you save the soil from getting dried out then it means you are on the right track.
The Boston fern is an easy plant to take care of. That’s why people prefer this plant over others as they like to enjoy the artistic beauty as well as its benefits in a single shot.
In both indoor and outdoor settings, you have to save the plant from direct sunlight. You will observe the Boston fern benefits only in bright, indirect light.
Partial shade doesn’t mean too far away from the source of the light. You have to keep the plant in bright filtered light.
Boston is a non-flower plant, but it is a long-lasting plant. The Boston fern has a very long lifespan with the proper care. Moreover, the Boston fern is non-toxic to animals or pets.
From purifying the air around your house to absorbing the dangerous chemicals you name it, and Boston Fern will surely protect you from all the dangerous chemicals and pollution found in our environment!
So, if you’re looking for a plant that looks amazing as well as having many benefits then this plant should be number one on your list!
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