Houseplant · Davalliaceae
Rabbit's Foot Fern
Davallia fejeensis
Keep it bright, moist, and humid, leave the fuzzy paws on top, and it'll wander happily over the pot.
Bright indirect
Every 5–10 days
55–75°F · 13–24°C
USDA 10–12
Overview
So what's with the name? The rabbit's foot fern gets it from the soft, fuzzy rhizomes that crawl over the pot and hang down the sides like little animal feet. It's a true fern from Fiji, grown indoors for its lacy fronds and that funny, endearing habit. Not many houseplants give you something this fun to watch.
Most ferns keep their roots hidden, but this one wears its rhizomes right on top, and that quirk changes everything about how you grow it. The fronds pop up from those creeping stems in a loose, lacy heap that gets wider over time. It doesn't grow tall, but it does spread out, so a hanging basket or a shelf where the paws can dangle is perfect.
The one thing it really wants is a bit more humidity than your average houseplant, and honestly that's not hard to give. Keep the air damp, the light gentle, and those paws uncovered, and it'll stick around for years. Get sloppy with watering or bury the rhizomes, though, and you'll trade a happy fern for brown fronds and rot.
Care
The short version: bright indirect light, a mix that stays evenly moist but never bone dry, humidity around 50% to 70%, and the fuzzy rhizomes left right on top of the soil where they like to be.
Light
Pop it near a window with bright, indirect light, just not where the harsh midday sun hits it directly. It'll cope with partial shade or medium light, but the fronds look fullest when the light's bright and filtered. Direct sun? That'll scorch the delicate foliage, so keep it out of the way.
Water
Keep the mix evenly moist but not soggy, and water about every 5 to 10 days once the top half-inch has dried out. Back off a bit from fall through late winter when growth slows. And remember, those surface rhizomes rot if they sit in wet soil, so good drainage really matters.
Soil
Go with a peat-based mix that's rich in organic matter and drains well. It likes a slightly acidic pH of 5.5 to 6.5, and a loose, airy blend keeps water moving past the roots and rhizomes instead of pooling.
Temperature
Regular room warmth is all it needs, somewhere around 55°F to 75°F (13°C to 24°C). Just keep it away from cold drafts and hot vents, since both give the fine fronds a hard time.
Humidity
This is the one it's picky about. Aim for 50% to 70% humidity, which is more than most homes have, so a pebble tray, a humidifier, or a cluster of plants helps a lot. When the air gets too dry, you'll see crispy frond tips first.
Feeding
Feed it monthly through spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength. Then let it rest in fall and winter with nothing at all.
Pruning
No big pruning jobs here, thankfully. Just snip off any dead, browned, or damaged fronds at the base to keep it looking neat and make room for new growth.
Repotting
You'll only need to repot every 2 to 3 years, once the rhizomes crowd the surface or the mix dries out way too fast. Bump it up one pot size, and whatever you do, leave those fuzzy rhizomes sitting on top instead of burying them.
Size & spacing
It'll get to about 12 to 35 inches (30 to 90 cm) tall and spread quite a bit wider, roughly 1 to 4 feet (30 to 120 cm), as the paws wander. Give it space to sprawl, or hang it up and let those fuzzy feet trail down.
Troubleshooting
Here's the handy part: this fern basically has two ways of telling you something's off. Crispy frond tips? That's about the air. Soft, brown paws? That's about the water. Spot which one you've got below and sort it out before it spreads.
Fuzzy rhizomes going soft and brown
Those fuzzy paws crawling over the pot are surface rhizomes, and they turn mushy if they sit wet or get buried. What you're looking at is rhizome rot, usually from soggy, poorly draining mix or from covering the paws with soil. Just uncover them, set them back on top, trim off anything mushy, and let the mix dry to the right level before you water again.
Fix:
- Uncover the rhizomes and rest them on the mix surface
- Let the medium dry to the recommended level
- Improve drainage and remove any rotted rhizome sections
Sticky film and little bumps on the fronds
Sticky residue, fine speckling, or tiny bumps usually mean pests have shown up, most often scale insects, and sometimes spider mites or mealybugs. Take a good look at the fronds and rhizomes for brown scales, faint webbing, or white cottony bits. Wipe them off, keep the plant away from your others, and treat with a fern-safe horticultural soap or oil until things clear up.
Fix:
- Wipe off pests and isolate the plant
- Treat with horticultural soap or oil suited to ferns
- Repeat treatments until clear
Brown, crispy frond tips
If the browning stays at the tips and edges while the paws still feel firm, it's almost always dry air or thirst, not rot. This fern's used to the damp air back home in the tropics. So set it on a pebble tray or near a humidifier, keep the mix evenly moist, and move it away from any heating or cooling vents drying it out.
Fix:
- Raise ambient humidity with a pebble tray or humidifier
- Keep the mix evenly moist
- Move away from heating/cooling vents
Toxicity
Got pets? You're in luck, because this is a non-toxic true fern, and the ASPCA says it's fine around cats, dogs, and horses. Nothing in the fronds or fuzzy paws will poison a nosy nibbler, so it's fine on a low shelf. The worst that might happen is a bit of tummy upset if a pet really goes to town on the leaves.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Good news for cat folks: the ASPCA has this fern down as non-toxic, so a cat chewing on a frond won't get poisoned. A big mouthful might upset a touchy stomach for a day, but that's about it.
Dogs None
Dogs can hang out with this fern no problem. The fronds and fuzzy paws are safe, though a dog that scarfs down a bunch of leaf might drool a little or throw it back up.
Horses None
There's nothing in here that bothers horses, and the plant comes with no warning for them.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits are fine around it too, since true ferns like this carry nothing harmful, so a nibbled frond's no big deal.
Livestock Safe
Grazers like goats, sheep, and cattle are safe near it, because this fern doesn't have the toxins some wild ferns do.
Birds Safe
It's safe around pet birds, and a stray peck at a frond won't hurt a thing.
People Safe
It's safe to keep around kids, and it's not something you'd grow to eat anyway. Just wash your hands after messing with the soil, like you would with any houseplant.
No special handling precautions are required; the plant is non-toxic, though the furry surface rhizomes should be left exposed on the mix rather than buried.
Varieties
A couple of named types pop up in the houseplant trade, each with its own spin on that lacy look.
'Plumosa'
A feathery type with narrow, finely divided segments that make it look even lacier than usual.
'Dwarf Ripple'
A compact one that stays around 6 to 18 inches (15 to 45 cm) tall, which is great when you're short on space.
How to propagate
Want more of them? It's pretty simple once you get the creeping rhizomes, because the paws themselves are what you root.
DivisionModerate
Spring · 4-8 weeks
The easiest route is division in spring. Snip rhizome tip cuttings about 2 to 3 inches long with a frond or two on each, pin them onto moist mix so the rhizome stays in contact, and keep them warm and humid while they root, which takes around 4 to 8 weeks. You can grow them from spores too, but that's slower and a lot less reliable, so why bother?
Myths
Those furry rhizomes crawling over the pot are roots, so they should be buried.
Nope. Those fuzzy paws are surface rhizomes, not roots, and they're meant to creep over the top of the mix and down the pot's edge. Bury them and they'll just rot. Leave them out in the open where you can see them.