A client had an ailing Tree Fern, and when I asked Colin, a friend with a passion for Tree Ferns (see Colin’s guest blog), what to do, he came up with some great but drastic advice. Firstly, as with all plants, think of where the plant comes from and what are its original growing habits. Tree Ferns like humid, shady areas and hate their crowns (at the top of the trunk) to dry out. This ailing Tree Fern was in far too sunny a position and to create a more moist environment, Colin’s advice was to cut the trunk in half a so that the crown was nearer the soil and to replant the top part of the fern in a shadier part of the garden.
I felt like a bit of a vandal, but I followed Colin’s advice, and never having cut a Tree Fern in half before, was amazed to see such beautiful growth patterns inside the trunk. They look like a cross between prehistoric wall paintings and aboriginal art. I had to dash off and instantly find someone to share this momentous discovery with (in this case it was Eric who I garden with regularly, who was almost as impressed as I was).
Tree Fern now replanted, I’m intrigued to see how this plant will adapt to its new height and setting. Fingers crossed, its fronds will be flourishing next year in its new shady humid environment.
Beautiful! What a surprise. There’s a theme for a photographic exhibition – cross sections of plants. From tree ferns to kiwi fruit …
Merci de partager cette beauté de la nature avec nous, Noemie.
C’est comme si nous passions de l’autre côté du miroir, belle leçon de vie !
Donne nous simplement de ses nouvelles, c’est inoui qu’il puisse repousser.
You should see the fossils of tree ferns – there are some stunning cross sections.(just google it!)
Hope the fern enjoys it’s new spot.
Just to clarify the above:
Tree ferns can transplanted – you dont have to cut the trunk, just dig up as per any normal plant.
However, if you want to grow a tree fern in a sunny / dry spot, you need either to water daily, or keep the trunk/ crown damp by planting it closer to the ground – as Naomi needed!
Nicolette-will ponder competition idea!….Fatima, thanks so much for your lovely comment and so pleased you’re enjoying the blog and Colin-many thanks for your valuable advice-very much appreciated. Naomi
I long to grow a tree fern, but they seem to be almost impossible to buy in the north-east US. And of course there would be the extra work of hauling it to the basement each year. Would it need an extra misting from a bottle to be happy in the dampish basement? Constant light, I am assuming.
Great post!
Julie
Hi, Naomi asked me to answer this one for you.
North East US is not ideal for tree ferns – I don’t know of any that will survive anythng below -10 centigrade max.
Dicksonia Antartica is the hardiest of them all, but still requires light during the winter – they only lose their fronds in the most extreme winters, and this weakens the plant. That said, if your willing to move it indoors, can supply enough light, and ensure its constantly wet then I don;t see why you couldn’t have one!
If you’re really desperate for a tree fern without all the work I would suggest an indoor one – Blechnum Gibbum or Blechnum brasiliense. I have several, and the fronds only grow to about 75cm long, so its a substancial, but managable indoor plant.
They do like good light and humidity, so I keep mine in a sunny bathroom. Interestingly, Blechnum Gibbum is often found being sold as a houseplant with no mention of it being a tree fern, and can be found for quite cheap. They grow really fast for tree fern, and you can expect to have a good sized trunk in a matter of a couple of years if conditions are right, though they only live 10 years or so max.
That’s an amazing picture. Very unexpected patterns and kind of mesmerising. Reminds me of Mandelbrot fractals. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11560110
(Really enjoyed Colin’s guest post on exotics too – pity Scotland isn’t great for them)
Can I just check one thing? Dunno if I’m being stupid. So you just chop the top of the tree fern off, stick the top into the soil and it’ll root?? That’s pretty spectacular. – and the remaining stump just sprouts and starts again from its shorter height?
I sense a new obsession developing…. uh oh.
Hi WMG and David -Am going to ask Colin to reply to you both as I know his advice will be that of an expert.V.best Naomi
Hi David,
Yes – you can do this with Dicksonia Antartica.
The others do not take being chopped very well! Never buy any other tree fern that’s just a trunk – it usually will not survive.
Also – you can only plant the top bit of the fern with the crown – they do not re-sprout a crown from the chopped off base of the trunk.
The reason for this is that the trunk of the fern is actually a upright rizome, and is actually made mainly of roots ( barring the pithy centre as Naomi shows), so the rizome just re-sends out roots from the base, but it needs the crown to do this.
Have fun – I started off with one 4 years ago, now have 21 different types!
Thanks Colin (and Naomi).
That’s absolutely fascinating. It makes a lot more sense that it can survive a beheading if the trunk’s actually a rhizome (which is a revelation in itself!)
Saw a stunning specimen of a Dicksonia antarctica in the Edinburgh Botanics today.
When I’m a millionaire I’m going to have a ‘dinosaur’ garden with tree ferns, giant cardiocrinums and Wollemi pines – and maybe a brontosaurus as well…
That’s beautiful! I never would have imagined.
Well now that I read all this I still not sure whether I can cut of the top of my tree ferns and expect the base to regenerate. Am I hoping for too much. They have grown too tall
Re “The Inner Life Of A Tree Fern” have you any updates and photos of the removal of the top of the tree fern and remaining base. I would be extremely interested as may do the same. Thanks