Davallia fejeensis fern frond
Davallia fejeensis in suspension
Davallia fejeensis fronds and rhizomes
Rhizomes of Davallia fejeensis
Contents
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
Davallia fejeensis, the large rabbit's foot fern
Contents
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
When we think of the flora of the Fiji Islands, we're more likely to imagine palm trees than ferns. Yet the archipelago is home to a strange specimen: Davallia fejeensis. Known as rabbit's foot because of its hairy rhizomes, the plant can be grown indoors in Fiji.
How to recognize the rabbit's foot fern, Davallia fejeensis?
Davallia fejeensis is an epiphytic fern with a drooping habit. Larger than davallia canariensis, it can grow up to a metre high and as wide.
The rabbit's foot fern owes its name to its roots. The short, thick rhizomes are studded with beige or brown scales and hairs, very soft to the touch. They grow on the surface and, after a few years, these aerial roots cover the substrate and even the pot! So you can enjoy their golden highlights.
Davallia fejeensis isn't just prized for its hairy rhizomes. The plant has bright green, sharply cut fronds. Triangular, they measure up to 60 centimetres long. The deciduous foliage falls off when the temperature becomes too cool.
Fertile fronds bear ochre sporangia. When they reach maturity, they open and the wind disperses the spores.
This large rabbit's foot fern is not toxic to animals or humans. Just remember to grow it in suspension! You'll enjoy its beauty to the full, and your cat or guinea pig won't be tempted to nibble its fronds!
Our maintenance tips
If you want to start a fern collection, start with davallia fejeensis. More resistant than other varieties, they can withstand a few forgotten waterings and tolerate lower hygrometry.
Watering
Always keep the substrate moist, but not soggy. Water the soil with water at room temperature. Use non-calcareous water, such as rainwater or demineralized water.
Excess water rots roots and rhizomes. Remove any stagnant water from the saucer and avoid over-wetting the aerial roots. If you have trouble handling your watering can, water by capillary action. This way, you're sure not to drown the rhizomes.
Spray
Fogging foliage and rhizomes with room-temperature water improves hygrometry.
Spraying also helps combat pest attacks.
Use non-calcareous water to avoid leaving white marks on the foliage.
Repotting
Your Davallia fejeensis has shallow underground roots and a spreading habit. Choose a pot that is wider than it is tall. Prefer a perforated container, so that excess water can drain away.
Fill your pot with a substrate for epiphytic and acid-loving plants. For example, mix 50% peat moss, 25% sand and 25% ordinary potting soil. Plant your fern in the center without burying the rhizomes.
Spray the soil and rhizomes with non-calcareous water at room temperature after repotting.
Fertilization
To promote the growth of your Davallia fejeensis, apply fertilizer in spring and summer.
Fertilize your Davallia fejeensis with a green plant fertilizer diluted with water. Divide the dose prescribed by the manufacturer by four.
Prune
To encourage the growth of your Davallia fejeensis, prune regularly.
Remove dry fronds.
Cutting
Cutting is carried out during the strong growth phase, generally in spring and early summer.
When repotting, separate a rhizome with one or two fronds.
Fill a pierced pot with a mixture of peat moss, potting soil and perlite. Place the rhizome on the substrate, without burying it. You can hold it in place with an iron clip or hairpin.
Your cutting needs plenty of moisture to grow. Grow it in a greenhouse. You can place the pot in a mini greenhouse, in a transparent crate or in a translucent bag with an airtight seal.
Place your cutting in a bright room, with a temperature of at least 20°. Mist the substrate regularly to keep it moist, and aerate for a few minutes a day.
Diseases / Threats
Information
| Family | Davalliaceae - Davalliaceae |
| Type | Rabbit's foot - Davallia |
| Species | Davallia fejeensis - Davallia fejeensis |
| Lifecycle | Perennial |
| Foliage | Evergreen |
| Exposures | |
| Substrat | |
| Planting method |
In pots |
| Categories | |
| Tags |
Beginner Fritillary Large pot |
| Origin |
Oceania |
| Hardiness (USDA) | 11b |
| Leaf color |
|
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