Kangaroo Fern
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called Kangaroo Foot Fern and Kangaroo Paw Fern.
Toxicity is partly unassessed
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for people. NC State Extension 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: Lecanopteris pustulata subp. pustulata. Citations below point at the name its source uses.
- Light
- Deep shade, Partial ShadeNC State Extension, filed as Lecanopteris pustulata subp. pustulata · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Good Drainage, Moist, Occasionally DryNC State Extension, filed as Lecanopteris pustulata subp. pustulata · 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- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- No record of poisoning in people is listed for this plant; that absence is not evidence it is safe.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Watering
- Water as the soil surface starts to dry. Avoid overwatering, and do not leave the pot standing in a saucer of water.NC State Extension, filed as Lecanopteris pustulata subp. pustulata · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- In spring and summer, feed monthly using a balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength.NC State Extension, filed as Lecanopteris pustulata subp. pustulata · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- This fern can be propagated from spores or rhizomatous root cuttings.NC State Extension, filed as Lecanopteris pustulata subp. pustulata · read 13 September 2026
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Photographs
About the plant
- Native range
- SE. Queensland to SE. Australia, Norfolk I., Lord Howe I., New ZealandWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026SE Queensland to SE Australia, Norfolk Island, New ZealandNC State Extension, filed as Lecanopteris pustulata subp. pustulata · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- wet tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- epiphyteWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Epiphyte, Fern, Ground Cover, Perennial; habit climbing, creeping, moundingNC State Extension, filed as Lecanopteris pustulata subp. pustulata · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 6–12 in; width up to 40 inNC State Extension, filed as Lecanopteris pustulata subp. pustulata · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Non-flowering; produces sporesNC State Extension, filed as Lecanopteris pustulata subp. pustulata · read 13 September 2026
- Uses
What sources record people using this plant for. A traditional or medicinal use listed here is a record of use, not advice to eat it or treat anything with it.
Not edibleNC State Extension, filed as Lecanopteris pustulata subp. pustulata · read 13 September 2026
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Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
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.