Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i just introduced a rabits foot fern cutting into my vivarium and im hoping it will establish itself.i hear that they dont have to be planted into the ground but will grow in trees or on a back wall.im actually growing it more for the roots than for the leaves.for anyone that doesnt know,they have these massive,hairy roots that really appear to be covered in rabbits hair and they grow out of the soil and wrap around things.i have the cutting wedged between some branches and im hoping the roots begin to grow and wrap around the branch.very jungle/exotic looking.are they fast growers??? will just a cutting of a root with some leaves attached survive? it has for 2 weeks now.

Just a cutting with a couple of leaves and a piece of the main trailing "root" or stolon, which I think is a better description, since this is more of a trailing stem than a true root, is quite likely to survive and grow. The true roots are finer and extend from these stolons attaching it to the substrate and everything else along the way. It's a relatively fast grower and will indeed climb all over everything, so it's really best in a fairly large tank where it can meander around ad lib. I have one in an 80 gallon bow that has climbed all over the cork bark, the decorative sculpture of a Mayan temple into the higher reaches of the tank and even over the top of the water fall. I love it, since it is also easy enough to cut back and control where you don't want it.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

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