Button Fern
Pellaea rotundifolia · Native to Australia & New Zealand
A charming little fern prized for its delicate, round button-like leaves marching along slender, arching fronds. Compact and soft, it brings easy texture to tabletops and hanging baskets — and unlike many houseplants, it’s completely pet-friendly.
Available in 4½ inchCare
Light
Prefers bright, indirect light or filtered shade — perfect for tabletops or hanging baskets. Avoid harsh direct sunlight, which can scorch the fronds.
Water
Water when the top 1 inch of soil feels dry, keeping the soil evenly moist but never soggy.
Humidity
Ferns love moisture — keep humidity high by misting or using a pebble tray, and it will thrive in bathrooms and kitchens.
Soil & Feeding
Use a well-draining, peat-rich soil, and fertilize monthly in spring and summer with a diluted houseplant fertilizer.
Details
Admired for its delicate, round, button-like leaflets along arching fronds, the Button Fern adds soft, elegant greenery to any indoor space while staying refreshingly low-drama for a fern.
- ✅ Pet-friendly — non-toxic to cats and dogs
- ✅ Soft & elegant — great for adding texture
- ✅ Loves humidity — ideal for bathrooms or kitchens
Size
Available in a 4½ inch pot — a great desktop or shelf size, and easy to tuck into a mixed planter or hanging basket.
Good to Know
🌿 Non-toxic and pet-friendly — a safe choice around curious cats and dogs. As with all our plants, it is grown for decoration and not meant for human or animal consumption.
Plant Bio
Pellaea rotundifolia · also called New Zealand Cliff Brake or Round-Leaf Fern
The Button Fern earns its name from the neat rows of small, round, button-like leaflets that line its slender, arching fronds. It is native to New Zealand and southeastern Australia, where — unlike the lacy ferns of damp forest floors — it grows tucked into rocky crevices, shaded banks, and cliff faces. That tougher, well-drained home is exactly why it copes with ordinary household air far better than most ferns.
Rather than soft, feathery foliage, it produces wiry, dark stems set with paired leaflets that are leathery, slightly glossy, and roughly the size of a coin. New fronds often unfurl with a faint coppery tint before deepening to rich green. The plant stays low and mounding, spreading gently outward rather than up, and rarely exceeds about a foot across — making it a natural fit for desks, shelves, terrariums, and mixed hanging baskets.
Care is refreshingly straightforward: bright, indirect light or filtered shade, soil kept evenly moist but never waterlogged, and a little extra humidity from misting or a pebble tray. Feed monthly through spring and summer with a diluted houseplant fertilizer and it will steadily push out fresh fronds.
Best of all for pet households, the Button Fern is non-toxic — a genuinely safe, easygoing green companion for homes with cats and dogs.
How is the Button Fern different from other ferns?
- Its leaflets are round and leathery rather than lacy, giving it a distinctive beaded look.
- It tolerates drier household air and brighter light than most moisture-hungry ferns.
- It stays compact and mounding, ideal for small spaces, terrariums, and baskets.
- It is non-toxic and pet-safe, unlike many popular houseplants.
Note: Grown for ornamental purposes and not intended for human or animal consumption. The Button Fern is considered non-toxic and pet-friendly.