Fern ‘Deer Foot’

These ferns have a quirky and kind of delightful trait: they all grow from creeping rhizomes that are fuzzy and covered with a fine, fur-like mat of hairs. This fuzzy rhizome has earned these ferns their common names: deer foot ferns, squirrel foot ferns, and rabbit foot fern, among others. The idea is that the fuzzy, ground-level rhizomes resemble animal feet.

Ferns are an amazing way to bring lots of color and life to all gardens, natural areas, and lawns. They are great and will grow in areas where other plants cannot. They grow where the soils are moist and where they receive very little sun. There are also some available that grows in full sunlight. They range in color from light green to a very dark green.

Ferns are among the most beautiful houseplants. With lacy fronds and a classic texture, they work well in just about any interior design scheme, from country casual to formal. There’s a wider variety of ferns available than most folks realize, so there’s abundant opportunity to decorate with these houseplants.

Ferns look beautiful mixed together, but they’re also a wonderful choice to combine with other houseplants, especially larger-leafed varieties so you can enjoy the dramatic contrast in leaf texture. Pay attention to color, too — certain ferns pair better with other houseplants because of coloring, overall plant, shape and other factors. The good news, though, is that you can’t go wrong with ferns.