Hare's foot fern is a tropical evergreen fern native to the western Mediterranean, from southwestern Europe and Northwestern Africa to the Canary Islands, where it thrives as an epiphyte on tree bark and rocky surfaces. Its most distinctive feature is the brown, scaly rhizomes covered in a fine mat of soft hairs that resemble a hare's foot, making it as much a tactile curiosity as a visual one. The triangular fronds spread to 20 inches long, creating an airy, elegant presence that works beautifully in hanging baskets or containers. Hardy only in zones 10-11, it demands warmth, high humidity, and bright indirect light to thrive indoors or in warm gardens.
Partial Shade
Moderate
10-11
18in H x 24in W
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High
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The fuzzy brown rhizomes that give this fern its charming common name are genuinely soft to the touch, almost furry, and creep across the soil surface in a way that delights gardeners who notice them. Unlike many ferns that fade indoors, hare's foot fern maintains vibrant triangular fronds year-round when given consistent humidity and warmth above 50°F. Its epiphytic nature means it thrives in loose, chunky soil rich with bark, moss, and leaf mold rather than dense garden soil, making it a fern for those willing to create a specialized microclimate.
Hare's foot fern is grown primarily as an ornamental houseplant and container specimen, valued for its delicate triangular fronds and novel furry rhizomes. It thrives in hanging baskets or elevated planters where the creeping rhizomes can be displayed and admired. In warm climates within zones 10-11, it can be incorporated into shaded garden beds or used as an accent plant in tropical landscapes.
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“Davallia canariensis is native to a wide range spanning the western Mediterranean basin, from the coasts of southwestern Europe and Northwestern Africa extending westward to the Canary Islands off Morocco. In its native habitat, it grows as an epiphyte, anchoring itself to tree bark and rocky surfaces rather than forest soil. This tropical fern was collected and brought into European cultivation, eventually spreading to gardens worldwide, where it became valued as an indoor specimen plant for those who could provide the warmth and humidity it demands.”