Mature size & growth rate

How big does Squirrel's Foot Fern (Davallia trichomanoides) get?

Also called Ball fern, Squirrel foot fern.

More about squirrel's foot fern

About Squirrel's Foot Fern

Davallia trichomanoides · also called Ball fern, Squirrel foot fern · houseplant

Squirrel's foot fern is an epiphytic fern famed for the furry, silvery-brown creeping rhizomes that crawl over the pot like little animal feet. Its finely divided, lacy triangular fronds are deciduous to semi-evergreen. Native to tropical Asia, it makes an elegant hanging or kokedama plant and is one of the ASPCA-confirmed pet-safe ferns.

Mature size: 20-40 cm tall, spreading 30-45 cm or more as the rhizomes creep.

Indoor size vs how big it gets in the wild

Squirrel's Foot Fern does not get tall — it gets long. Size here is about stem length and how you train or cut it, not how much floor it claims. Indoors and in a pot, expect 20-40 cm tall, spreading 30-45 cm or more as the rhizomes creep.. A pot, your light levels and a little pruning are what set the final size in a home, far more than the plant's theoretical potential.

Growth shows up as lengthening stems that trail down or climb up a support; the plant can be kept tiny or grown metres long from the exact same root system.

Growth rate and years to mature

Squirrel's Foot Fern is a moderate grower. Realistically, expect three to six years to reach mature indoor size, gaining a steady amount each growing season. Its feeding profile backs this up: feed monthly through spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertiliser at half strength. it needs little feeding and is sensitive to salt build-up, so flush the pot periodically. stop feeding in autumn and winter.

Want this turned into the right next pot at the right moment? The pot size calculator and the squirrel's foot fern repotting guide cover when and how much to size up — pot size is one of the biggest levers on how fast squirrel's foot fern grows.

How to keep squirrel's foot fern smaller

You are not stuck with the maximum size. For squirrel's foot fern specifically, these are the levers, in order of impact:

Trim the longest vines back to the length you want — squirrel's foot fern takes hard cutting well and bushes out from the cut.
Cut just above a leaf node; each trimmed stem usually branches into two, so pruning makes it fuller, not sparser.
The cuttings root easily in water or mix, so "keeping it smaller" doubles as free new plants.
A trim once or twice a season is usually enough to hold its length.

The keep-it-smaller method, step by step

Decide the length you want. Pick the point each vine of squirrel's foot fern should stop — you can be aggressive; it regrows readily.
Cut just above a node. Snip about 0.5 cm above a leaf node so the stem branches there instead of dying back.
Root the cuttings. Drop the trimmed pieces in water or mix — they root in 2-4 weeks and can fill the same pot for a bushier look.
Repeat as it runs. Re-trim whenever it overshoots; regular light pruning keeps it both smaller and fuller.

How to grow squirrel's foot fern bigger or faster

If you want it to fill the space sooner, push the conditions rather than hoping — for squirrel's foot fern the accelerators are:

Good light plus a moss pole or trellis triggers the longest, fastest, largest-leaved growth.
Give it something to climb — many vines grow far faster and bigger up a support than trailing.
Feed through spring and summer and keep it consistently watered while it is actively running.

Light is almost always the ceiling. The squirrel's foot fern light requirements page covers exactly how bright a spot it needs to grow at its potential instead of stalling.

When squirrel's foot fern outgrows the room (or the pot)

"Too big" usually arrives as one of these signs for squirrel's foot fern:

Vines pooling on the floor or wrapping past where you want them — purely a trimming cue, not a repot one.
Bare, leggy stems with leaves only at the tips (usually a light problem, not a size one).
A tangled mass that has outrun its support and needs cutting back and re-training.

If it is the pot rather than the room, it is a repotting job, not a goodbye — see the squirrel's foot fern repotting guide. If you want more of this plant instead of a bigger one, the squirrel's foot fern propagation guide turns prunings into new plants.

Squirrel's Foot Fern size — frequently asked questions

How big does squirrel's foot fern get?

Squirrel's Foot Fern reaches 20-40 cm tall, spreading 30-45 cm or more as the rhizomes creep. when grown indoors. Growth shows up as lengthening stems that trail down or climb up a support; the plant can be kept tiny or grown metres long from the exact same root system.

Is squirrel's foot fern slow or fast growing?

Squirrel's Foot Fern is a moderate grower. Expect three to six years to reach mature indoor size, gaining a steady amount each growing season. Squirrel's Foot Fern does not get tall — it gets long. Size here is about stem length and how you train or cut it, not how much floor it claims.

How long does squirrel's foot fern take to reach full size?

Roughly three to six years to reach mature indoor size, gaining a steady amount each growing season. Light, pot size and feeding move that timeline more than anything else.

How do I keep squirrel's foot fern smaller?

Trim the longest vines back to the length you want — squirrel's foot fern takes hard cutting well and bushes out from the cut. Cut just above a leaf node; each trimmed stem usually branches into two, so pruning makes it fuller, not sparser. The cuttings root easily in water or mix, so "keeping it smaller" doubles as free new plants. A trim once or twice a season is usually enough to hold its length.

How can I make squirrel's foot fern grow bigger or faster?

Good light plus a moss pole or trellis triggers the longest, fastest, largest-leaved growth. Give it something to climb — many vines grow far faster and bigger up a support than trailing. Feed through spring and summer and keep it consistently watered while it is actively running.