Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Rabbit's foot fern (Davallia fejeensis)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Rabbit's foot fern, Dainty rabbit's-foot fern, Fijian hare's foot fern, Lacy hare's foot, Lacy paw.

More about rabbit's foot fern

About Rabbit's foot fern

Davallia fejeensis · also called Rabbit's foot fern, Dainty rabbit's-foot fern · houseplant

The rabbit's foot fern is a delicate epiphytic fern from Fiji, prized for its lacy, finely divided fronds and the furry, rust-coloured rhizomes that creep over the pot rim like little paws. Its one defining need is steady humidity: dry indoor air quickly browns the frond tips, so consistent ambient moisture matters more than anything else.

Cold limit: USDA 10a-12b (grown as a houseplant in cooler zones) · RHS H1c (min 5-10°C; can stand outside only in warm summer spells) (16-24°C)

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

Rabbit's foot fern 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 H1c means: Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost. On the US scale that maps to USDA 10a-12b (grown as a houseplant in cooler zones) — 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 5 °C (and never frost). Rabbit's foot fern has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

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

Below about about 5 °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 rabbit's foot fern go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 5 °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 rabbit's foot fern can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1c figure above.

Rabbit's foot fern hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is rabbit's foot fern cold hardy?

Rabbit's foot fern 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. Rabbit's foot fern can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10a-12b (grown as a houseplant in cooler zones)); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

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

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 5 °C (and never frost). Rabbit's foot fern has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

What hardiness zone is rabbit's foot fern?

Rabbit's foot fern is rated USDA 10a-12b (grown as a houseplant in cooler zones) and RHS H1c — Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost.

Can rabbit's foot fern survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 5 °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 rabbit's foot fern below its minimum temperature?

Below about about 5 °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.