Polypodium Formosanum 'Cristatum' E.T. Fern

The E.T. Footed Fern earns its name from its thick, furry, finger like rhizomes that crawl visibly across the soil surface, a display feature rather than something to bury or trim away. This cultivar, 'Cristatum,' also produces crested, forked frond tips instead of the plain pointed tips of the straight species, giving each leaf a soft, ruffled end.

Give it bright but indirect light, keep the soil evenly moist, and let those furry rhizomes crawl over the pot's rim as they grow. It is a compact houseplant, typically 12 to 24 inches tall, that makes a genuine conversation piece on a shelf or windowsill, and it can be grown outdoors in warm, humid, shaded spots within its hardiness range.

For more houseplant fern care tips, read our guide to growing and caring for ferns, and browse the rest of our ferns collection.

Bring home the E.T. Footed Fern for a genuinely unusual, easy care addition to your houseplant collection.