Family: Dicksoniaceae
Scientific name: Dicksonia antartica
Common name: Tasmanian tree fern / Soft tree fern
Origin: Tasmania
The Tasmanian tree fern can reach a height up to a 15 meters, with leaves that are 4 meters long.
The false stem is made up of dead leaves and reaches a maximum height of about 4 meters in our temperate climates. The trunk is the most sensitive to frost, but can withstand a temperature up to 5 degrees Celsius below freezing point unprotected through the winter. If it starts freezing hard or long, the trunk must be properly wrapped with jute, climate cloth, foil, and so on. The leaves will die, but in the spring, new ones will grow again. It’s recommended to move young plants indoors during each winter.
Provide a shady location and water the plant regularly. The species namely grew in the humid cloud forests and along rivers, making them less resistant to drought.
Sowing description: The spores can be sown in sowing mix. The soil should be sterilized in advance against molds: pour boiling water for this purpose over the entire surface. Sprinkle the spores spread over the surface of the ground and cover the container with plastic foil. Move to a bright spot in the house and occasionally sprinkle some rainwater on it. After several months to a year, the first ferns start growing.
Sowing time: Whole year
Difficulty: Challenging
Minimum temperature: -5 degrees Celsius
