Rabbits Foot Fern
All about the Care and Maintenance of the Rabbit’s Foot Fern
As far as ferns go, the rabbit’s foot fern is one of the best loved for its unusual features. The growths that overflow out of the pot give this fern its name. Its name, however, may mislead you about how exotic this plant actually is. Another common name for the rabbit’s foot fern is the Fijian fern because it finds its origin on the Pacific island of Fiji.
Regardless of where it finds its provenance, the rabbit’s foot is a great choice for your home.
The Rabbit Foot’s Climate Preference
The rabbit’s foot fern is a very hardy plant, even in terms of ferns. It is not too fussy about temperature, although, like many plants, it doesn’t do well in below freezing temperatures. If you’re going to plant it outside in your garden, you might want to cover it during the coldest nights to keep it from freezing over. Given that this plant is from Fiji, this wide range of temperature tolerance might surprise you. Of course, we should not go too far in terms of this consideration; the rabbit’s foot does prefer a warm environment to a cold one.
Lighting Requirements for the Rabbit’s Foot
One thing the rabbit’s foot is fussy about, however, is the amount of light that it gets. The rabbit’s foot doesn’t do particularly well when exposed to direct sunlight. If you overexpose the rabbit’s foot, you will find that its leaves tend to brown from it. The best location for a rabbit’s foot is a spot where it only gets sunlight indirectly. This should not be surprising when we remember once again where the rabbit’s foot finds its origin, the tropical forests of Fiji. There in its homeland, the other surrounding growths protect (or deprive, depending how you think of it) the rabbit’s foot from the full touch of the Fijian sun.
Watering Requirements of the Rabbit’s Foot
The rabbit’s foot also doesn’t like to be overly moist. It tends to do best with a bit of daily misting rather than a thorough soaking. The best way to assure that your rabbit’s foot gets the right amount of H2O is to place your rabbit’s foot atop a bed of rocks. You can then ring the rabbit’s fern with a bit of water that will continue to evaporate and provide a continuous source of moisture.
Be careful that you do not let the soil get too moist. When planted in the outdoors, you want to make sure that there is adequate drainage so that your rabbit’s foot does not get waterlogged. If you plant your rabbit’s foot indoors, you may want to invest in a humidifier. This will not only benefit your rabbit’s foot but your own respiratory system.
Hanging Pot or Ground Level?
Ah! The eternal question for fern lovers: whether to plant them or hang them? There is no real controversy here. The rabbit’s foot, and most other ferns for that manner, is ideal for hanging pots. This is both because of practical and aesthetic reasons. The practical reason for hanging a fern like the rabbit’s foot is that this allows it adequate drainage while avoiding accidental flooding. In addition, in most homes you will find that hanging your fern increases the areas where your fern can get a healthy amount of indirect sunlight. Many dark corners are actually a bit too shady for ferns, but when you raise them up, you find that they get just the sunbath they need.
Aesthetically, the hanging look is just a much better one than the sprawling look. The rabbit’s foot is especially well suited to being lifted up since its primary feature, the “lacy paws” that give it one of it other common names, creeps out from the rim of the pot. This makes it much easier to see from an inferior position beneath or at eye level with the pot.
Regardless of where you end up placing the rabbit’s foot, you will find that it adds quite a bit to the beauty and joy of your home or office.