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Dainty Rabbits-Foot Fern

Davallia fejeensis, Polypodiaceae

Sources last read 14 September 2026.

Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.

Also called Fijian Hares' Foot Fern, Lacy Hare's Foot, Lacy Paw and Rabbits Foot Fern.

Dainty Rabbits-Foot Fern (Davallia fejeensis), the whole plant.
Chhe ( talk ), Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Toxicity is partly unassessed

  • Listed as non-toxic to cats by ASPCA.
  • Listed as non-toxic to dogs by ASPCA.
  • Not assessed for people. RHS publishes no harm statement for this plant. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.

What the sources say about its care

Sources file this plant under other names: Davallia solida var. fejeensis. Citations below point at the name its source uses.

Light
Partial shade
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Water
Moist but well-drained
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Humidity

No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.

ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%
Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Temperature

How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.

H1C — 5–10°C 5–10 °C
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Soil
Loam; pH Acid or Neutral
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Toxic to cats
Non-toxic
ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
Toxic to dogs
Non-toxic
ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
Harmful to people
No statement of harm to people is published for this plant; that absence is not evidence it is safe.
RHS · read 13 September 2026

Routine care

Watering
Keep the potting mix moist, but let the top 1/2 inch dry before watering again.
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Propagation
Take rhizome tip cuttings 2 to 3 inches long, each with one or two fronds attached.
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
In spring, split the rhizomes, making sure every piece has roots.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Pruning
Pruning is not needed.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Pests and diseases
Usually free of pests and diseases.
RHS · read 13 September 2026

Move something and watch

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Close view of Dainty Rabbits-Foot Fern (Davallia fejeensis) foliage.
Close upKrzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

About the plant

Davallia fejeensis, or Davallia solida var. fejeensis, is a species of epiphytic fern in the family Davalliaceae, commonly referred to as rabbit's foot fern. The ferns are best known for their furry, brown and yellow rhizomes, which resemble rabbit's feet.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026

Native range
Caroline Is. (Pohnpei), Fiji, Tubuai Is. (Rapa Iti)
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
Fiji & Caroline Islands
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Climate
wet tropical
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
Growth form
epiphyte
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
Epiphyte, Fern; habit arching, erect, spreading
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Bushy (evergreen)
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Size
Height 0.5-1 metres; spread 0.5-1 metres after 5–10 years
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Flowering
No flowers.
NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026

Other Davallia

More of the Polypodiaceae family

Plants with similar care

Sources

What this does not cover

The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.

Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.

If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.