Columbo Fern Spotting

Fern spotting is a game. The rules of fern spotting are simple:

Watch television and look for a fern to appear on screen.

The earlier in the episode the fern appears, the better!

If you're a competitive type and are watching with a group, the first person to spot a fern wins.

If you imbibe, you may drink every time you see a fern. But if you watch a 70s show, watch out.

You can fern spot any media you choose, but the show that inspired fern spotting is iconic midcentury American crime drama Columbo. As my husband and I watched the show, I noticed that Boston ferns -- a popular decorative plant in the 1970s -- appeared in almost every single episode. It became an in-joke to shout "Boston fern spotted!" whenever we saw one.

I couldn't keep it to myself, so please join me as I fern spot Columbo episode by episode. Keep a sharp eye out for the ultimate fern spotting combo: Columbo himself sharing the frame with a Boston fern.

See a spreadsheet of all fern sightings (spoiler alert -- runs ahead of the queue!)

Boston fern spotted at 3:33. A bittersweet fern spotting, for this is the last episode of Columbo. It's very 2000s, clearly from a post-CSI era, with a lot of camera movement and now charmingly dated attempt to portray LA's rave scene.

Here's Columbo having a party moment.

And, I'm happy to say, here is the final ultimate combo! Columbo himself, with a Boston fern.

Maidenhair fern spotted at 1:04:22! With, I think, some kind of rex begonia in the foreground? (Also, yes, this episode is another Patrick McGoohan joint, though he does not star in it.)

Bonus plant #1: this snake plant.

Bonus plant #2: these fake weeping figs. Not sure why these trees had such a grip on interior designers from the late 80s to the early aughts, but they sure did!

(Fake) fern spotted very early, at 0:12! This Patrick McGoohan joint (yes, he directed and starred in another one) is off to a decent start, and it's uphill from here.

For one, we get Columbo mother-henning this wrinkly puppy.

We get some nice bonus plants: a maidenhair fern and a majestic palm.

Finally, the ultimate combo, around 54:30.

Boston fern spotted at 1:15! Kinda out of focus, though.

Bonus plants: Columbo with a majesty palm and a maidenhair fern. Almost the ultimate combo.

Finally: this look would be iconic if not for the awful hair extensions.

Boston fern spotted very late, at 1:20:11.

Bonus plant: these majesty palms.

No ferns spotted this episode. Here are some other observations.

This parlor palm:

Columbo drinking coffee from a Pyrex measuring cup. I guess they didn't have enough mugs at the station?

Finally, this. Sorry.

Boston fern spotted at 1:00!

This episode is notable for featuring a gay character (as the murder victim, unfortunately) and also for having William Shatner back on, this time to play a conservative radio host. He's basically the Alex Jones of his time.

Bonus plant: this sago palm.

(Plastic) fern spotted at 1:19, in this episode written by Peter Falk himself.

Bonus plant: Columbo with this big ivy, etc.

Feather leaf fern spotted at 50:54.

Bonus plant: this dracaena marginata.

Feather leaf fern spotted at 2:19!

This episode is notable for being the only Columbo episode not to feature a murder, as it is about a kidnapping. It also features my favorite non-recurring character, Tubby Comfort. He's absolutely written to be fatphobic comic relief, but as a person of similar appearance and stature, I would love if my job was to be a criminal informant with a weirdly cuddly nickname who lounged in the sauna eating fruit all day. That sounds awesome.

Fern...spotted at 3:25? Do we think a print of a drawing counts?

Not happy with that? Well, how's a painting of a fern?

Finally, at a funeral, we get a real, albeit cut, fern.

Finally, because I'm stubborn, here's a real, live, uncut Boston fern in the ultimate combo, at 1:22:46.

Ferntastic! Boston fern spotted at 3:12.

A few moments later, this fashionable fern close-up:

And a bit later, this asparagus fern.

Fern spotted at 1:00:22 -- and it's the ultimate combo of Columbo and a Boston fern!