Dicksonia antarctica
(Soft Tree Fern)
Family - Dicksoniaceae
Category - Fern
Origin - Tasmania, Australia
Year of Introduction - 1786
Season of Interest - Spring, Summer, Autumn
Hardiness - H3
Height - Slowly to 4m
Width - 2m
Location - The Stumpery
Description: A slow-growing tree fern with a single, upright stem. The dark brown, trunk-like stem elongates slowly with age and is covered in fibrous roots. The trunk is topped with a rosette of arching, bipinnate fronds with many small, lobed leaflets. The fronds are pale green when young, mature to dark green and can reach 2m or more in length. Spores are produced at the margins of the leaflets. Although Dicksonia antarctica is Evergreen in mild climates, in Great Britain it is Deciduous and will require winter protection.
Award of Garden Merit (AGM).
Additional common names include - Australian Tree Fern, Tasmanian Tree Fern.
Foliage:
A rosette of arching, Bipinnate fronds with many small, lobed leaflets are held at the top of the trunk-like stem. The fronds are pale green when young, mature to dark green and can eventually reach 2m or more in length.
Foliage Senescence: Deciduous in Great Britain
Foliage Shape: Bipinnate fronds with lobed leaflets.
Propagation:
Spores.
Cultivation:
Best in a sheltered position in partial shade to full shade in fertile, moisture-retentive soil that is well-drained. Dicksonia antarctica requires neutral to acidic soil. In hot weather, it is advisable to water the stem.