Jagera pseudorhus
fern top
Overview
Jagera pseudorhus, the foam bark tree, is an evergreen tree growing 10-20 m (33-66 ft) tall and 5-10 m (16-33 ft) wide, taller in closed rainforest. It has a spreading crown of large, pinnate, fern-like leaves 20-50 cm (8-20 in) long, made up of many narrow, toothed leaflets. New growth is coated in rusty-brown hairs, and the foliage gives the tree its common names Fern Top and Fern Tree. Small cream to greenish flowers are carried in branched panicles in spring, followed by three-lobed reddish-brown capsules. The capsules are covered in rusty hairs that can irritate skin, eyes, and airways on contact. The bark contains saponins that froth when crushed in water, the origin of the name foam bark. It grows in subtropical and dry rainforest and along watercourses in eastern Australia. The tree needs warmth and frost-free conditions, and young plants are slow to establish on exposed, dry sites.
Native Range
Native to eastern Australia, from north-eastern Queensland through to the central coast of New South Wales. It grows in subtropical and dry rainforest, gallery forest, and along watercourses.Suggested Uses
Grown as a shade and canopy tree in large subtropical gardens, parks, and rainforest restoration. Used in habitat and revegetation plantings along watercourses. Suited to warm-climate properties with space for a spreading crown.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height32'10" - 65'7"
Width/Spread16'5" - 32'10"
Bloom Information
Small cream to greenish flowers open in spring in branched panicles at the branch tips. The flowers draw bees and other insects. Reddish-brown three-lobed capsules follow through summer.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
cream to greenishFoliage Description
green, rusty when youngGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-10 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