Plant guide
Button fern
Hemionitis rotundifolia
Button fern is non-toxic to cats. Discourage chewing even on non-toxic plants.
Non-toxic does not mean edible. Eating plant material can still upset your cat’s stomach.
What this guide covers: Hemionitis rotundifolia, also known as Pellaea rotundifolia. Lemon button fern and asparagus fern are different plants.
Photo:
Photo details
Hemionitis rotundifolia — Fronds
By Max Blacks
License: CC BY 2.0
Resized and converted to WebP for display; botanical details unchanged.
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Photo:
Photo details
Hemionitis rotundifolia — Fronds
By Max Blacks
License: CC BY 2.0
Resized and converted to WebP for display; botanical details unchanged.
Button fern
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Non-toxic does not mean edible. Chewing plants can still upset your cat’s stomach.
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Look for Hemionitis rotundifolia and check the selected variety. Listings and availability can change.
Plant identity
- Scientific name
- Hemionitis rotundifolia
- Scope
- Species
- Family
- Not recorded
- Also known as
- No reviewed aliases available
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How to grow this plant
Hemionitis rotundifolia, also known as Pellaea rotundifolia. Lemon button fern and asparagus fern are different plants.
- Light
- Medium indirect light
Filtered shade outdoors; indirect or subdued light indoors.
- Watering
Water regularly with good drainage; occasional drying is tolerated.
- Temperature
- Temperature range not yet established
Avoid extended freezing conditions; no preferred indoor range established.
- Humidity
Does not need the high humidity required by many other ferns.
- Potting
- Acidic, humus-rich potting mix with good drainage.
- Through the year
- Propagate by dividing the rhizome; shelter outdoor plants from strong winds.
Growing-guide sources
- Hemionitis rotundifolia ↗NC State Extension · Accessed 2026-10-16
Hemionitis rotundifolia, also known as Pellaea rotundifolia. Lemon button fern and asparagus fern are different plants.
Growing advice reviewed 2026-10-16. Plant safety is assessed separately.
Reviewed safety information
- Toxic principle
- Not recorded in the reviewed evidence
- Reported signs
- Not recorded in the reviewed evidence
Missing information is unknown. It should not be interpreted as an absence of risk.
Safe alternatives
No verified alternative recommendations are available for this guide.
Sources & review
- Button fern: toxic and non-toxic plants ↗ASPCA · Accessed
Listed by the source as Pellaea rotundifolia. The cat-safety source names Pellaea rotundifolia; NC State explicitly lists it as the former name of Hemionitis rotundifolia. Preserve that documented synonym mapping.
- Hemionitis rotundifolia ↗NC State Extension · Accessed 2026-10-16
- Button fern: source assessment ↗ASPCA · Accessed 2026-10-16
Safety last reviewed .