PlantFiles: Bear's Paw Fern
Phlebodium aureum 'Mandaianum'

This plant has done well for me. I grow it, year-round, as a house plant in a south-facing window. The plant, in a 12-inch clay pot, currently has twenty, 4-foot long fronds and has covered the soil with furry rhizomes. It's a vigorous grower in the spring and summer, regularly sending up fronds. Just before the active growth in the spring, last year's leaves begin to yellow, die, and eventually detach cleanly at the base. Winter humidity is 40-50% in the room it's in. I never spray it and it does fine. When I started watering with rainwater instead of tap water, I noticed improved vigor and have figured that's because it's an epiphyte in its native habitat and probably doesn't like the mineral load from our slightly alkaline tap water.

The 'blue star' cultivar grows well in partial shade. The furry roots quickly swell in pots, so be sure to give plenty of room. Too much sun and they loose their glaucous color.

They wont grow in the SF bay area as our summers are too cool. They will survive winters by going dormant..but make almost no growth the next summer...losing by attrition. As greenhouse plants they are great,with blue fronds,fast growth. Indoors,they do poorly..not enough light,dry air make them look shabby.
EDIT 2013: Whats interesting is that the SPECIES plant- no ruffled fronds IS HARDY in the bay area...still blue and attractive. THAT'S the one you want to look for if growing outdoors is what you want here.

Beautiful fern, fuzzy rhizome grows out of the pot and looks beautiful if used in a large hanging basket. The only problem I have run into is with scale insects..very difficult to get rid of due to all that fuzz. Make sure to keep it away from any infested plant. Otherwise a very happy plant!

I have had MUCH success with this plant. It likes a low to medium light, and moist-dry potting mix. This is a GREAT fern that looks nice amid other ferns.

The blue-green fronds of this Bear's Paw Fern have crispate and lobed fronds. Excellent for hanging baskets, it develops large, hairy rhizomes. When very young, it is a candidate for terrariums.

So far I have planted three of these ferns without success. Two small ones came from a mail order nursery, and a larger one from a local big box store. Planted in mid-December 2006, all three withered away.