Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Hare's Foot Fern (Davallia canariensis)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Canary Island rabbit's foot fern.

More about hare's foot fern

About Hare's Foot Fern

Davallia canariensis · also called Canary Island rabbit's foot fern · houseplant

Hare's foot fern, native to the Canary Islands, Iberia and North Africa, is grown for its thick, pale-furred creeping rhizomes resembling a hare's foot and its leathery, finely divided dark-green fronds. Tougher and more drought-tolerant than most ferns, it suits hanging baskets and kokedama, and Davallia is ASPCA-confirmed non-toxic to pets.

Cold limit: USDA 9-11 (indoor in most US and UK homes; can take brief cool spells) · RHS H2 (13-24°C)

What hare's foot fern's hardiness rating actually means

Hare's Foot Fern is half-hardy (RHS H2). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Its RHS rating of H2 means: Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot. On the US scale that maps to USDA 9-11 (indoor in most US and UK homes; can take brief cool spells) — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost. Hare's Foot Fern shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for hare's foot fern as it gets too cold:

Down to roughly about 1 to 5 °C it copes, especially if dry and sheltered.
A sustained hard frost collapses the top growth; whether it returns depends on whether the roots, crown or tubers froze.
Wet cold is far more lethal than dry cold for this plant — soggy, frozen soil is the usual killer.

Can hare's foot fern go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-11 (indoor in most US and UK homes; can take brief cool spells) or a frost-free UK microclimate.
In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter.
A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when hare's foot fern can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H2 figure above.

Frost protection for borderline hare's foot fern

Hare's Foot Fern is right on a hardiness edge in many gardens, so if you are pushing it, these measures buy it the margin it needs:

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost.
Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse.
Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones.
Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.

Hare's Foot Fern hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is hare's foot fern cold hardy?

Hare's Foot Fern is half-hardy (RHS H2). It survives a mild winter outdoors in a sheltered spot, but a hard frost kills it — so in colder zones it is lifted, potted, or grown as a tender plant. Borderline outdoors. In its mild end of USDA 9-11 (indoor in most US and UK homes; can take brief cool spells) (and sheltered UK gardens) hare's foot fern can stay out; in colder areas it must be lifted, brought in, or treated as a frost-tender plant.

What is the minimum temperature hare's foot fern can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 1 to 5 °C — tolerates cold but no real frost. Hare's Foot Fern shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

What hardiness zone is hare's foot fern?

Hare's Foot Fern is rated USDA 9-11 (indoor in most US and UK homes; can take brief cool spells) and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can hare's foot fern survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA 9-11 (indoor in most US and UK homes; can take brief cool spells) or a frost-free UK microclimate. In colder zones, grow it in a pot you can move under cover, or lift its tubers/roots and store them frost-free over winter. A south-facing wall, free-draining soil and a dry winter position can push it a full zone hardier than the books suggest.

How do I protect hare's foot fern from frost?

Mulch the crown or root zone deeply with bark, straw or leaf-mould before the first hard frost. Move container plants against a warm wall or into an unheated but frost-free porch or greenhouse. Fleece the top growth on the coldest nights, and keep it on the dry side — dry roots survive cold far better than wet ones. Lift dahlia-type tubers or tender crowns after the first light frost blackens the foliage and store them somewhere cool but frost-free.