1 / 11

Dicksonia antarctica

man fern

Dicksoniaceae Southeastern Australia and Tasmania

SunPart Shade – Full Shade

Overview

Dicksonia antarctica is a tree fern forming a thick fibrous brown trunk to 4-10 m (13-33 ft) tall and 30-60 cm (12-24 in) wide, the trunk built from densely matted aerial roots around a slender stem. It is crowned by a wide rosette of arching dark green tripinnate fronds 2-3 m (6.5-10 ft) long, softer and more leathery than those of the rough tree fern. The stipe bases are clothed in soft red-brown hairs rather than spines and feel smooth to the touch. New fronds uncoil from a central crown through spring and summer. Spore clusters form along the margins on the undersides of fertile fronds. It grows in cool shaded gullies, fern gullies, and wet forest understorey in southeastern Australia and Tasmania, often in dense stands beside streams. Slow-growing, it adds only about 2.5-5 cm (1-2 in) of trunk a year and can live for centuries. The fibrous trunk holds moisture and can resprout if the top is removed, but the crown dies if it dries out, and the fern scorches in sun and wind.

Native Range

Native to southeastern Australia, including New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania, in cool moist forest gullies, shaded slopes, and stream banks, sometimes forming extensive colonies.

Suggested Uses

Grown in shaded moist gardens, fern gullies, ferneries, and courtyards as a structural feature, and in cool rainforest-style and streamside plantings. Its frost tolerance suits cool temperate gardens.

How to Identify

A tree fern with a stout fibrous brown trunk and a wide rosette of large soft tripinnate fronds, the stipe bases covered in soft red-brown hairs and smooth to handle, unlike the harsh spiny bases of the rough tree fern. The trunk is often thick and moisture-holding.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height13' - 33'

Width/Spread10' - 16'

Colors

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

no change

Bloom Information

As a fern, Dicksonia antarctica does not flower. It reproduces by spores carried along the frond margins on the undersides of mature fronds, shed mainly in the warmer months. Fresh fronds uncoil from the trunk crown through spring and summer.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

Dark green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunPartial Shade SunFull Shade

Requires 1-5 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.0 - 6.5(Acidic)

357912

Soil Types

loam peat

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

High

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

Very slow; about 2.5-5 cm of trunk a year, living for centuries

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in part to full shade in a cool humid sheltered spot with deep moist organic soil rich in leaf litter. The trunk and crown need frequent watering, including water run into the crown during dry or hot weather, and it cannot tolerate drying out. It withstands frost and even snow once established but resents hot dry wind. A heavy mulch and steady moisture keep the fronds fresh. Transplanted trunk sections can re-root if kept constantly moist.

Pruning

Old brown fronds can be cut off near the trunk to tidy the crown. Removing too many living fronds at once weakens the plant and slows growth. No further pruning is needed.

✓ Toxicity

Non-toxic