Potted rabbit's foot fern
Rhizomes of Davallia tyermannii
Rabbit's foot fern fronds
Young fern frond rabbit's foot
Contents
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
Davallia tyermannii, the little rabbit's foot fern
Contents
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
Superstitious, you've hung a protective eye on your door and a horseshoe in your living room? Add a Davallia tyermannii to your collection of lucky charms! This fern, native to Taiwan and southern China, has rhizomes in the shape of a rabbit's foot.
How to recognize the Davallia tyermannii rabbit's foot fern?
Davallia tyermannii is an epiphytic or lithophytic fern with a spreading habit. Smaller than davallia canariensis or davallia fejeensis, it reaches a maximum height of 40 centimetres with the same wingspan.
Its creeping rhizome grows on the surface. It is covered with white or beige scales and hairs. These silky aerial roots are soft to the touch. They give the plant its nickname of rabbit's foot fern.
The fronds are triangular and finely divided. They are born in the form of crosses. Initially red, they turn bronze before adopting their brilliant green color.
Ochre or rust sporangia appear on the underside of fertile fronds between March and December. They contain the spores that will enable the plant to reproduce.
Davallia tyermannii is non-toxic. You can grow it without fear, even if you share your home and garden with pets.
Our maintenance tips
If you want to start a fern collection, start with davallia tyermannii. 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 tyermannii 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
You can stimulate the development of your plant during its growth phase, in spring and summer, with fertilizer.
Fertilize your Davallia tyermannii 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 tyermannii, prune regularly.
There's no need to prune the foliage. Remove only dry fronds with clean, sharp pruning shears.
Cutting
Cutting is carried out during the strong growth phase, generally in spring and early summer.
Take advantage of repotting to multiply the plant by dividing it. Once you've dug up your davallia tyermannii, locate a rhizome with aerial stems and several fronds. Separate it from the main plant using your hands or a clean, sharp knife.
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 tyermannii - Davallia tyermannii |
| Lifecycle | Perennial |
| Foliage | Evergreen |
| Exposures | |
| Substrat | |
| Planting method |
In pots |
| Categories | |
| Tag |
Beginner |
| Origin |
Southeast Asia |
| Hardiness (USDA) | 9b |
| Leaf color |
|
Discover plants from the same family
Find out more
