Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Kangaroo Paw Fern (Microsorum diversifolium)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Kangaroo paw fern, Kangaroo fern, Kangaroo foot fern.

More about kangaroo paw fern

About Kangaroo Paw Fern

Microsorum diversifolium · also called Kangaroo paw fern, Kangaroo fern · houseplant

The kangaroo paw fern is an easygoing Australasian epiphytic fern with glossy, leathery, lobed fronds spreading from a creeping surface rhizome. It thrives in bright-to-medium indirect light, evenly moist soil and average-to-high humidity, tolerating ordinary rooms better than fussier ferns. Microsorum is not individually listed by ASPCA, so treat as mildly toxic and verify with a vet.

Cold limit: USDA USDA zones 9-11 outdoors (frost-tender); grown as a houseplant elsewhere (17-25°C (tolerates ~15-29°C))

What kangaroo paw fern's hardiness rating actually means

Kangaroo Paw 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 USDA zones 9-11 outdoors (frost-tender); grown as a houseplant elsewhere — 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. Kangaroo Paw Fern shrugs off cold nights but a real, sustained freeze will kill it.

Concretely, for kangaroo paw 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 kangaroo paw fern go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA USDA zones 9-11 outdoors (frost-tender); grown as a houseplant elsewhere 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 kangaroo paw 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 kangaroo paw fern

Kangaroo Paw 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.

Kangaroo Paw Fern hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is kangaroo paw fern cold hardy?

Kangaroo Paw 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 USDA zones 9-11 outdoors (frost-tender); grown as a houseplant elsewhere (and sheltered UK gardens) kangaroo paw 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 kangaroo paw fern can survive?

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

What hardiness zone is kangaroo paw fern?

Kangaroo Paw Fern is rated USDA USDA zones 9-11 outdoors (frost-tender); grown as a houseplant elsewhere and RHS H2 — Tender — survives a frost-free greenhouse or a very mild, sheltered spot.

Can kangaroo paw fern survive winter outside?

It can live outside year-round only in the mildest, most sheltered part of USDA USDA zones 9-11 outdoors (frost-tender); grown as a houseplant elsewhere 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 kangaroo paw 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.