The Davallia genus are characterized by their furry rhizomes which rise above the surface of the soil. These rhizomes have fur that can be half to three-quarter of an inch, so it is not surprising that the common names of these ferns are deer foot, rabbit’s foot and squirrel’s foot. These ferns are ideal in hanging baskets and is an excellent choice of fern for those of you who have low-humidity rooms.

Light and Temperature

Give these ferns medium light and warm temperatures. Luckily, however, these are resilient ferns, so if the temperature cools to below 55 F and the fronds die off, they will re-grow when your room warms up again.

Watering

Be careful not to get carried away with watering. Test the soil with you finger and only water your fern when the top ½ inch of soil is dry.

Feeding and Soil

Liquid fertiliser should be applied every other week during the active growth period. Use a combination of 50% soil, 50% leaf-mold as potting mixture. When re-potting, do so in the spring and use a slightly larger pot. If you are re-potting using the same pot, trim back some of the outer roots and use fresh potting mixture.