Rabbits Foot Fern (Davallia fejeensis) also known as Hares Foot Fern is an evergreen perennial fern. It is part of the Davalliaceae family and is native to Fiji. The Rabbit Foots Fern is a hardy fern that can survive indoors or out. It is slow growing but long lived. It’s known as Rabbits Foot due to the soft fuzzy rhizomes that creepy along the soil surface. Functional as well as decorative, the rhizomes absorb moisture and nutrients as they crawl across the moist soil.
As with any houseplant, care of rabbit’s foot fern includes providing adequate light, proper moisture and temperature, and regular fertilization. Even with the best of care, you may occasionally lose some of the older fronds. This is normal and not an indication that you have done anything wrong. Rabbit’s foot ferns like bright but indirect sunlight, such as that found near a window with an eastern exposure.
Water the plants lightly but often to keep the surface of the soil lightly moist. Daily misting helps keep the surface rhizomes from drying out.
A rabbit’s foot fern plant is very sensitive to chemicals. Avoid using leaf shine products and insecticides on the plant. A gentle shower keeps the fronds looking clean and fresh and also removes many of the insects that feed on the foliage. Tobacco smoke, scented candles and most forms of air pollution also harm the plant. Though it may need a little more maintenance than other plants in the home, growing a rabbit’s foot fern houseplant is a great way to enjoy this unusual, furry-footed oddity.
Mealy bug and scale. Brush them off with a wet cotton bud. If highly infested cut off the entire frond.
Dust the leaves regularly using a soft brush. Dust can clog up the pores of the leaves and make it difficult for the leaves to function properly.