Pellaea Rotundifolia Care: Growing The Button Fern

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The Button Fern, recognizable as a fern with round leaves, Pellaea Rotundifolia [Pe-LEE-uh Ro-tun-dih-FOH-lee-uh] is native to New Zealand with distinctive foliage that offers an excellent variety to typical ferns.

Even beginner gardeners can successfully grow Button fern plants with a bit of caution during their initial settling stage.

button fern growing as a ground coverPin

Once this fern’s settled, it’s an easy-going plant requiring very little care compared to its delicate relatives.

The button Pellaea fern makes an ideal house plant, especially for those who often neglect to water their plants.

This certainly doesn’t mean this fern doesn’t need watering. It’s more of a fern that would wilt with overwatering than less watering.



NOTE: Common names are confusing in the plant world. Don’t confuse the button fern (Pellaea rotundifolia) with the Lemon Button fern (Nephrolepsis cordifolia). They are two different plants.

Pellaea Rotundifolia ‘Button Fern’ Care

Size & Growth

Button Rotundifolia is a relatively tiny fern with fronds growing up to 10″ inches long.

The fronds of the New Zealand button fern are lined with larger, dark, round leaflets shaped like buttons.

The branches grow quickly, but they still stay small. They have a gentle, slight arch to them making them wonderful hanging basket plants.

Button fern with round, green leaves, distinct appearancePin

Flowering and Fragrance

This plant doesn’t flower.

Light & Temperature

For button fern light requirements, try to avoid direct sunlight; they can tolerate it, but too much, and it will scorn their delicate leaves.

The Pilea rotundifolia prefers bright indirect light, especially during the cold weather, and subdued light during the summer season.

They have a high tolerance to the colder climate but dislike frost.

The ideal room temperature for it is between 65° – 75° degrees Fahrenheit (18° – 24° C).

However, the temperature shouldn’t be lower than 55° degrees Fahrenheit (13°C).

Watering and Feeding

Even though the fern button is a house plant, it likes the soil dried out between the watering.

Avoid getting the soil soggy, limit misting, and keep in mind it needs a different care schedule as compared to other plants.

This means getting the ideal water moisture might become a little tricky initially.

Watering mostly depends on the kind of container, soil mix, drainage, season, as well as the humidity and temperature.

The most effective way to increase the humidity in your home during the colder months is by using a humidifier.

Just don’t overwater the plant; this will give you a chance to experiment a bit to find the right water balance.

Feed this plant every two weeks during April and September with a half-strength liquid houseplant fertilizer.

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This will enhance new growth and result in healthy leaves.

Soil & Transplanting

Round Leaf Fern likes moderately moist, fertile yet well-drained soil medium and placed in a bright location with no direct sun but also in partial shade. Provide sun protection during the hot midday sun.

If growing this fern in a frost-prone area, protect the crown using dry winter mulch.

It requires a peat-based potting mix, with one part perlite and two parts peat moss.

Grooming and Maintenance

This fern is evergreen and prefers to stay moist during winter but not waterlogged with soggy soil.

Place it in a sunny position, but avoid full sun through a window if growing it as a houseplant.

If placed outside, make sure it’s protected in the midday sun.

If the fronds start turning yellow or begin wilting, it is an indication of the plants being overwatered.

This situation requires decreased watering and trimming of the fronds.

Button Fern Propagation

Pellaea ferns propagate by sowing spores. This can seem a bit tricky for a beginner indoor grower, but it isn’t impossible.

The majority of the ferns can easily be propagated through the process of division, but not with this fern.

The Button leaf plant does not require repotting too often because of its small roots.

Change the pot after two years for the mature species and every year for the young plant.

Typically, this fern doesn’t face any issues becoming root-bound but can face a problem maintaining its stability in the pot because of its tiny roots.

If you start noticing the plant becoming unstable, move it to a bigger, well-draining pot.

Rotundifolia Pest Or Disease Problems

The Pellaea fern is usually free from common problems of pests and diseases.

However, it might start looking slightly unkempt after a few seasons pass.

Quickly deal with it by trimming out wilting and untidy leaves right back to the pellaea plant base. High temperatures can cause brown leaf tips.

Do this during the spring season, and soon, new shoots will begin emerging.

Remember, do not overwater – the button rotundifolia hates soggy soil! Use a pot with a drainage hole to reduce overwatering issues.

Suggested Uses For Button Ferns

With this New Zealand fern being small, it makes a useful and pleasant addition to a shady, humus-rich stumpery.

These ferns go rather well with the other ferns by bringing out the beauty in the overall setting.

Paella rotundifolia looks great when used along borders and beds, in an informal or cottage setting, in rocky areas, in foliage only setting a plant stand, and even indoors in a hanging basket.

They’re also great as terrarium plants.

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