Plant care
Toothed Davalliatemperature & humidity
Davallia denticulata
More about toothed davallia
Ideal temperature for toothed davallia
Aim for 18–30 °C (64–86 °F) on the thermostat and you've handled the easy part. The hard part is the half-metre around the plant: window glass that drops to near-freezing on a January night, a radiator pumping out hot dry air, a draught from an opened front door. Move the plant 30 cm and you've usually fixed the problem. Below roughly 18°C the damage starts — soft blackened patches, translucent leaves, sometimes overnight.
Cold tolerance & winter care
Toothed Davallia is frost-tender (USDA 10–12, RHS H1a). It cannot survive a frost, so in most of the US and UK it lives indoors year-round or summers outside and comes back in well before the first autumn frost — once nights drop toward 10-12°C is the cue, not the first frost warning. Acclimate it over a week when moving between indoors and out so the leaves do not shock.
Humidity for toothed davallia
Toothed Davallia sits happiest at around 55–80% relative humidity. As a true tropical species, Davallia denticulata prefers higher humidity than its temperate Davallia relatives. Levels below 50% lead to frond tip desiccation. Use a humidifier, pebble tray, or frequent misting of the surrounding air (not directly on rhizomes) in dryer indoor environments. The usual low-humidity tell is crisp brown leaf tips and edges while the soil moisture is fine — a sign the air, not the watering, is the problem. If you need to raise it, the reliable methods are grouping plants together, standing the pot on a tray of damp pebbles (the pot above the waterline, never in it), or running a small humidifier in winter when indoor heating dries the air most. Misting is the least effective — it raises humidity for minutes, not hours.
Toothed Davallia temperature & humidity — frequently asked questions
What temperature is best for toothed davallia?
Toothed Davallia grows best between 18–30 °C (64–86 °F). Keep it out of cold draughts, off freezing windowsills in winter, and away from the hot dry air directly above radiators — the extremes matter far more than the average room temperature.
How cold can toothed davallia tolerate?
Toothed Davallia starts to suffer below roughly 18°C. It is frost-tender and will be damaged or killed by a frost, so bring it indoors once nights fall toward 10-12°C.
What humidity does toothed davallia need?
Toothed Davallia prefers about 55–80% relative humidity. As a true tropical species, Davallia denticulata prefers higher humidity than its temperate Davallia relatives. Levels below 50% lead to frond tip desiccation. Use a humidifier, pebble tray, or frequent misting of the surrounding air (not directly on rhizomes) in dryer indoor environments.
How do I raise humidity for toothed davallia?
Group it with other plants, stand the pot on a tray of damp pebbles (kept above the waterline), or run a small humidifier in winter. Misting only helps for a few minutes, so it is the weakest option for a plant that genuinely needs more humidity.
Can toothed davallia live outside?
Toothed Davallia is rated for USDA zone 10–12 and RHS hardiness H1a. Outside that range it must come indoors before the first frost — treat any outdoor stint as a summer holiday, not a permanent home.
More toothed davallia care
In the UK? Keeping toothed davallia warm in a UK home covers the radiator, single-glazing and heating-season humidity angle. Temperature and humidity are one piece. See the full toothed davallia care guide, its cold-hardiness guide, and watering schedule — humidity and watering problems are easy to confuse.