Rabbit Foot Fern Care Guide

Don’t let the idea of a fern steer you away from these quirky little plants. They’re a great way to introduce yourself back into the fern life (is that a thing), or get yourself acquainted with them before jumping into the role of fern parent! Let’s go over some basic— super important— care for Rabbit Foot Ferns.

Family: Davalliaea

Genus: Davallia

Botanical Name: Davallia fejeensis

Difficulty: Beginner-Friendly

Light

Rabbit Foot Ferns are ephiphytic (they grow on trees in the wild), so they don’t handle bright, direct light very well. In forests, they would receive sunlight filtered through the canopy. What does this mean for you? Keep them in a room that’s moderately bright.They can handle a little bit of shade, and ZERO direct sunlight. If you have a room that stays nice and bright for most of the day, that will be a great place for your Rabbit Foot Fern to call home.

Water

As with any other houseplant, always check the soil before watering. You should let the top inch of soil dry. These guys love a good shower when it’s time for watering. If you have other plants that don’t mind wet leaves, group them together in your shower, turn on the water, and let them soak it all in for a few minutes.

Climate

These guys loooove to be warm. Keep them away from those drafty areas and places that tend to stay more on the cold side. Don’t freak out, but they love temperatures on the warmer side (70°F) and higher humidity levels too.

Soil

Rabbit Foot Ferns don’t mind for the soil to be a little bit damp, so potting soil is super important for a healthy and happy plant. Orchid potting mix or regular potting mix with peat and bark added will help the soil stay at the right moisture levels without holding too much moisture.

Common Pests & Diseases

Because they like a fairly damp soil, Rabbit Foot Ferns can be affected by mealybugs. However, that’s not all you should keep your eyes out for because spider mites like to hide under their lacy foliage. Like other house plants, they can fall victim to root rot and leaf spot as a result of over watering.

Tips & Tricks

• Be careful with fertilizer, they do not take well to over-fertilization and will burn!

• If you notice your Rabbit Foot Fern soaking up crazy amounts of water, they’re healthy!

• You should not need to repot your Rabbit Foot Fern often. They like to be pretty comfy in their pot.

• If you are planting your Rabbit Foot Fern outside, NEVER bury the rhizomes under the soil.

Signs of an Unhappy Plant

• Yellow Fronts with brown tips: dry air/ low humidity

• Pale fronds + slowed growth: needs to be fertilized/ not getting enough nutrients from soil

• Limp fronds: over watered or temps aren’t high enough

How to propagate

You really have two options to propagate your Rabbit Foot Fern. You can separate the plant where the roots naturally break up, or you can separate them where the Rhizomes naturally break up. Either way, each section should have a rhizome and at least one frond. Then, place them in orchid potting mix or a mixture of regular potting mix, peat moss, and bark. Water them once, and then wait and let them get nice and cozy in their new home!

Fun Facts

• They have furry little rhizomes that resemble rabbits feet. These rhizomes help them draw nutrients from the soil!

• Rabbit Food Ferns are native to the Fiji Islands, where they are naturally epiphytic.

Hardiness Zones

It’s always important to check hardiness zones before moving a plant outside. With plants that have a little more of a demand for high humidity and temperatures, it may not be the best idea to give them a home outside. Rabbit Foot ferns can tolerate hardiness zones 10 and 11.

If you live in Tennessee, here is a hardiness map for you to reference before potentially sending your plant to its doom.