When Jeff Runyan’s mother decided to discard a simple basket fern from her patio 15 years ago, her son made a split-second decision that would become a remarkable family story. That rescued plant, now affectionately known as Jeff, has grown into an internet sensation after the Denver family shared their dedication to caring for their massive botanical companion.
The fern’s journey began as an unremarkable patio plant that faced disposal when summer ended. However, Runyan intervened and took the plant home, where he lived with a roommate who was also named Jeff and has since become a priest known as Father Jeff. The roommate suggested naming the fern Jeff as well, creating a household with three Jeffs under one roof.
A plant becomes family
Now living in Denver, Colorado, with his wife Emily Rachelle and their five children, Runyan has transformed the plant’s care into a family tradition. Each autumn before the first frost threatens, the family transports the increasingly massive fern indoors, then returns it outside when spring arrives.
The plant’s growth has been extraordinary. This past May, the family repotted their green giant to accommodate its expanding root system. By fall, the fern had grown so substantial that the family couldn’t manage moving it alone and required assistance from a neighbor to bring it back inside.
Dealing with an indoor jungle
Housing such a large plant indoors comes with challenges. The fern occasionally brings unwelcome insects into the home and drops leaves throughout the house. Despite these inconveniences, the family willingly accommodates their leafy housemate during the winter months.
The children have fully embraced the fern as part of the family, incorporating it into their holiday celebrations. Reflecting on their unusual family dynamic, the father shared, “This is what happens when you put love into things, right?”
Jeff’s legacy grows
The family received an unexpected gift this past spring. When they relocated the fern outdoors, they found a small offspring growing in an adjacent pot—the plant had successfully reproduced. Continuing their naming tradition, the family christened the new arrival Jeff as well.
WATCH: Man Saved a Fern From the Trash 15 Years Ago, and Look at It Now
