PlantFiles: Kangaroo Paw Fern
Microsorum diversifolium

This plant will live happily indoors with humans. I have three and they live and grow best in front of a rather large, East-facing window. They enjoy being nestled around other plants to maintain humidity levels but do not enjoy misting as much as other ferns. Keep soil moist to prevent pests. Mine live in plastic pots with drain holes (or cache pots if you want it to hang). I fertilize my Kangaroo Paws year around with liquid organic fertilizer once a month, using approx. half the recommended amount for plant feeding.

I first noticed this fern about 6 months ago at a garden store in The Woodlands. Purchased a nice 8" and very healthy one for about $20 Put it inside next to a regular table lamp and it thrived like crazy so bought another at a garden center and it also did great indoors next to a lamp that is on maybe 2-3 hours a day. The only other light it gets is diffused light about 15 feet from the living room windows. Found 2 huge hanging ones at a Home Improvement store on sale for only $10, so scarfed those up as well. Never fertilized (maybe should but it's doing so well without it!), just water really well about every 10 days. If outside, I'm sure it would need more water. I don't find this a messy plant at all, in fact, rarely get any dead leaves from this plant. This is by far one of my favorite indoor plants.

I have one in a large wrought iron basket that seems to be thriving quite well. It's a very thirsty plant, and although the coco fiber liner of the basket lets it dry out quicker, I think it likes the increased air it receives to the roots. I was in Hawaii back in Feb and saw this plant growing like a weed on the rainy sides of the islands. So it seems to me, that if you give it the "Hawaiian" treatment, it should do just fine.

So far I have planted two of these ferns without success. The last one was a seemingly healthy, good sized plant which I purchased from a local nursery and planted in early December 2006. Soon after planting the fronds blackened and it gradually withered away. No sign of them this spring.

I got it in a 4" pot, with few leaves, but sturdy. 8 years later, it has been incredibly tolerant, has completely inhabited a 10" wide, deep pot. In Colorado, it loves a patio with patchy shade, and is tough as nails during severe rain and temps. It drops leaves after being relocated, but always recovers, given big drinks and decent light--not good in full sun, but does recover from abuse, and does well in an apartment over winter.

It's a mildly messy plant, but fills a basket or plant stand quite handsomely--and smells great when washed/wet! leaves are large, deep green, and tendrils are thick, somewhat hairy looking.