Mature size & growth rate

How big does Toothed Davallia (Davallia denticulata) get?

Also called Toothed Davallia, Toothed Hare's Foot Fern, Rabbit's Foot Fern.

More about toothed davallia

About Toothed Davallia

Davallia denticulata · also called Toothed Davallia, Toothed Hare's Foot Fern · tropical

Davallia denticulata is a vigorous, tropical epiphytic fern widespread across Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and northern Australia. Its coarsely toothed, leathery, tripinnate fronds are supported by thick, pale, woolly rhizomes that scramble outward dramatically. It suits warm, humid indoor spaces, tropical garden beds, or large hanging baskets in conservatories.

Mature size: 60–90 cm tall, 60–100 cm spread including rhizomes

Indoor size vs how big it gets in the wild

Toothed Davallia 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 60–90 cm tall, 60–100 cm spread including rhizomes. 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

Toothed Davallia is a fast grower. Realistically, expect one to three growing seasons — fast vines can add a metre or more of stem in a single good summer. Its feeding profile backs this up: apply a half-strength balanced liquid fertiliser (20-20-20 or similar) every 3–4 weeks during active growth in spring and summer. this large, vigorous fern benefits from more regular feeding than smaller davallia species, but always dilute to avoid rhizome salt burn. do not feed in winter.

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

How to keep toothed davallia smaller

You are not stuck with the maximum size. For toothed davallia specifically, these are the levers, in order of impact:

Trim the longest vines back to the length you want — toothed davallia 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.
Expect to tidy it every few weeks in summer — this is a fast vine that will sprawl if left.

The keep-it-smaller method, step by step

Decide the length you want. Pick the point each vine of toothed davallia 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 toothed davallia bigger or faster

If you want it to fill the space sooner, push the conditions rather than hoping — for toothed davallia 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 toothed davallia light requirements page covers exactly how bright a spot it needs to grow at its potential instead of stalling.

When toothed davallia outgrows the room (or the pot)

"Too big" usually arrives as one of these signs for toothed davallia:

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 toothed davallia repotting guide. If you want more of this plant instead of a bigger one, the toothed davallia propagation guide turns prunings into new plants.

Toothed Davallia size — frequently asked questions

How big does toothed davallia get?

Toothed Davallia reaches 60–90 cm tall, 60–100 cm spread including rhizomes 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 toothed davallia slow or fast growing?

Toothed Davallia is a fast grower. Expect one to three growing seasons — fast vines can add a metre or more of stem in a single good summer. Toothed Davallia 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 toothed davallia take to reach full size?

Roughly one to three growing seasons — fast vines can add a metre or more of stem in a single good summer. Light, pot size and feeding move that timeline more than anything else.

How do I keep toothed davallia smaller?

Trim the longest vines back to the length you want — toothed davallia 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. Expect to tidy it every few weeks in summer — this is a fast vine that will sprawl if left.

How can I make toothed davallia 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.