Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Polynesian Davallia (Davallia solida)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Polynesian Davallia, Tropical Hare's Foot Fern, Solid Davallia.

More about polynesian davallia

About Polynesian Davallia

Davallia solida · also called Polynesian Davallia, Tropical Hare's Foot Fern · houseplant

Davallia solida is a robust, epiphytic fern from tropical Asia and the Pacific Islands, grown for its finely divided, leathery fronds and the fuzzy, creeping surface rhizomes that give the genus their 'hare's foot' nickname. It thrives in bright indirect light, good air circulation, and tolerates brief dry periods better than most ferns.

Cold limit: USDA 10–12 · RHS H1b (15–28 °C)

Watch for — Frond drop in winter: Davallia solida may partially or fully lose its fronds in cool winter conditions — this is semi-dormancy, not death. Keep rhizomes barely moist, maintain temperatures above 15 °C, and new fronds will emerge in spring as light and warmth return.

What polynesian davallia's hardiness rating actually means

Polynesian Davallia is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Its RHS rating of H1b means: Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season. On the US scale that maps to USDA 10–12 — 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 10 °C (sustained cold below this is damaging). Polynesian Davallia has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for polynesian davallia as it gets too cold:

Below about about 10 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches.
A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover.
Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.

Can polynesian davallia go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 10 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually.
Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C.
It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

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 polynesian davallia can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1b figure above.

Polynesian Davallia hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is polynesian davallia cold hardy?

Polynesian Davallia is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Indoor-only in almost every home. Polynesian Davallia can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10–12); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature polynesian davallia can survive?

What hardiness zone is polynesian davallia?

Polynesian Davallia is rated USDA 10–12 and RHS H1b — Sub-tropical — a normal warm home is fine, but it cannot go outside in a cool season.

Can polynesian davallia survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 10 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually. Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C. It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

What happens to polynesian davallia below its minimum temperature?

Below about about 10 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches. A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover. Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.