The Rabbit Foot Fern (Davallia fejeensis) is a distinctive houseplant recognized by its creeping, fuzzy rhizomes that often spill over the pot’s edge, resembling a rabbit’s foot. These features contribute to its ornamental appeal. Propagating this fern allows you to expand your collection, rejuvenate an older plant, or share its beauty with others.
Understanding Rabbit Foot Fern Propagation
Propagating a Rabbit Foot Fern offers several advantages, including creating new plants or revitalizing a mature specimen. The ideal time to propagate is during its active growth phase, typically in spring or early summer, ensuring the plant has sufficient energy for successful rooting and new growth.
The fern’s thick, hairy-scaled rhizomes grow above the soil surface. These rhizomes, which give the fern its common name, also serve as storage organs for moisture and nutrients, making them effective for vegetative propagation.
Key Propagation Methods
Rhizome Cuttings
Propagating Rabbit Foot Ferns from rhizome cuttings leverages their unique growth structure. Begin by selecting a healthy, mature rhizome section, ideally 2 to 6 inches long, with at least one or two fronds attached. Use clean, sharp, sterilized scissors or pruning shears for the cut to prevent disease transfer.
Prepare a shallow pot with a well-draining, peat-based potting mix or pure sphagnum moss. Lay the rhizome cutting horizontally on the moist potting mix surface, ensuring the fuzzy rhizome remains exposed and is not buried, as burying it can lead to rot. Gently pin the rhizome in place using bent wire, a bobby pin, or toothpicks to maintain contact with the soil. Lightly mist the cutting and the surrounding medium to keep it moist, and place it in bright, indirect light. New growth should emerge within several weeks to a few months.
Division
Division is a straightforward method for mature, established Rabbit Foot Ferns that have grown large or become root-bound. This process is often performed when repotting, typically in spring or early summer. Gently remove the fern from its pot, taking care not to damage the fronds or rhizomes.
Carefully shake off excess soil to expose the rhizome structure and identify natural divisions. Use your hands or a clean, sharp knife to separate the rhizomes into sections, ensuring each new section has a portion of the rhizome and at least one or two fronds attached. Plant each divided section in its own pot, positioning the rhizome on the soil surface, similar to rhizome cuttings. Water the newly potted divisions thoroughly to settle the soil.
Spore Propagation
Propagating Rabbit Foot Ferns from spores is an advanced and time-consuming method that requires patience. Ferns reproduce through spores, found on the undersides of their fronds, rather than flowers or seeds. To collect spores, select a mature frond with visible brown or black spore cases (sporangia) on its underside.
Cut the frond and place it between two pieces of white paper in a dry, protected location. Spores will release and collect on the paper within a few days to a week. Prepare a sterile growing medium, such as microwaved peat-based soil or sphagnum moss, in a lidded container with drainage holes. Sprinkle the fine, dust-like spores thinly over the moist medium surface, then cover the container to create a humid environment. Maintain temperatures between 60–70°F (16–21°C) and keep the medium consistently moist. Tiny fern gametophytes can take several weeks to months to emerge.
Caring for New Ferns
After propagation, newly established Rabbit Foot Ferns require specific care to thrive. Place young ferns in bright, indirect light, avoiding direct sunlight which can scorch their fronds. An east or north-facing window is often ideal.
Maintain consistent moisture in the potting mix, allowing the top inch or so of soil to dry out slightly between waterings to prevent waterlogging and potential rot. High humidity is crucial for these ferns, mimicking their native tropical environment. Increase humidity by placing the pot on a pebble tray filled with water, misting the fronds and rhizomes regularly, or using a room humidifier.
Troubleshooting Propagation
Propagation can encounter setbacks. If new growth is absent or slow to appear, confirm the rhizome cutting or division has good contact with the moist growing medium and that environmental conditions, particularly humidity and indirect light, are met. Rhizome rot, often indicated by mushy or discolored rhizomes, usually results from overwatering or burying the rhizomes too deeply in the soil. Ensure rhizomes remain on the soil surface and allow the potting mix to dry slightly between waterings.
Wilting or browning leaves on new propagules can signal insufficient moisture or overwatering leading to root issues. Check the soil moisture carefully and adjust watering frequency. Pale or bleached fronds often indicate too much direct light, while crispy brown tips suggest insufficient humidity. Adjust the plant’s location or increase ambient humidity to address these issues.