Tasmanian Tree Fern
Dicksonia antarctica (DICKSONIACEAE)
Planting and Growing Tasmanian Tree Fern
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow Tasmanian tree fern in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Fronds, trunks, leaf stalks, and spores of Tasmanian tree fern
- Growing conditions for Tasmanian tree fern
- When and where to plant Tasmanian tree fern
- How to plant Tasmanian tree fern
- How to shape, prune and control growth of Tasmanian tree fern
- Watering, fertilizing, and care of Tasmanian tree fern
- Landscape uses of Tasmanian tree fern
- Pest and disease control for Tasmanian tree fern
Growing Tasmanian Tree Fern
Several cultivars of slow-growing, erect, umbrella-crowned, palmlike, evergreen ferns, to 50 ft. (15 m) tall but seldom more than 15 ft. (4.5 m) tall in landscape use, with shiny, leathery, deep green, broad, arching, divided, finely cut, toothed fronds, 4–6 ft. (1.2–1.8 m) long, on woolly, red brown leafstalks, and with a fibrous, hairy trunk.
New Zealand rough tree fern, Dicksonia squarrosa, is a closely related species with similar care needs.
See also Australian tree fern, Cyathea cooperi, and Hawaiian tree fern, Cibotium glaucum, unrelated species with similar appearances.
Tasmanian Tree Fern Planting and Care Guide
Best Climates
U.S.D.A. Plant Hardiness Zones 8–11. Tender.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained, sandy loam mixed with humus and charcoal or, in water features, shoreline sites. Fertility: Rich. 6.0–7.0 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Full sun to full shade. Space 6 ft. (1.8 m) apart.
Proper Care
Easy. Keep evenly moist; water soil, stalks, and trunks. Fertilize monthly. Deadhead old or broken fronds at their junction with the trunk. Protect from direct sun in arid climates. Propagate by cuttings, spores.
About This Species
Good choice for accents, backgrounds, containers, entries, paths in natural, shade, tropical, woodland gardens and water feature shorelines. Good as houseplant. Pest and disease resistant.