Tree ferns

June 8, 2018

Anyone growing any in hot, humid Florida other than Cyathea Cooperi? Would like to try some but they are hard to find. Have 2 Cooperi but would like to know what others that can handle our weather. Cape Coral here.

June 8, 2018

I'd be interested to hear if others are growing any in FL too. When I have more space and money I have a list of tree ferns I'd like to try here in N. FL. As much as cold hardiness, a lot of the challenge will be accommodating the ones native to cooler climates.

Edited June 8, 2018 by Opal92

June 8, 2018

I have a Cyathea medullaris or Black Tree Fern growing in my front yard for 2 years now. It's a fairly fast grower —It has grown from a tiny little plant to a young tree fern with fronds that can measure up to 6 feet long. It's kind of difficult to photograph because of the surrounding vegetation, which helps to keep the base of the fern from drying out. One interesting thing I just noticed while taking some pics is that it has an offshoot growing off the base. This fern is growing under the canopy of a queen palm on the south side of the house, so it gets a lot of direct (bright) sun light during the whole day.

I also have a small Cyathea tomentosissim, which is still too small to report on its adaptation to South Florida –It's looking healthy though (see below)

Edited June 8, 2018 by paquicuba

June 9, 2018

On 6/7/2018, 6:13:18, Cape Garrett said:

Anyone growing any in hot, humid Florida other than Cyathea Cooperi? Would like to try some but they are hard to find. Have 2 Cooperi but would like to know what others that can handle our weather. Cape Coral here.

Garrett some of the more tropical one you should be able to find in FL or HI on eBay. Fern factory (California) has small interesting tree ferns to try, they sell out pretty fast so check them out and see if they have what you are looking for. Good luck and if you don't see what they have in stock check back in late winter or fall.... http://www.fernfactory.com/main/default/ProductCategory.aspx?cate=2

Edited June 9, 2018 by Palm crazy

June 10, 2018

Thanks. Yes. Sold out now. Will have to check bacl.

June 10, 2018

On 6/8/2018, 4:19:06, paquicuba said:

I have a Cyathea medullaris or Black Tree Fern growing in my front yard for 2 years now. It's a fairly fast grower —It has grown from a tiny little plant to a young tree fern with fronds that can measure up to 6 feet long. It's kind of difficult to photograph because of the surrounding vegetation, which helps to keep the base of the fern from drying out. One interesting thing I just noticed while taking some pics is that it has an offshoot growing off the base. This fern is growing under the canopy of a queen palm on the south side of the house, so it gets a lot of direct (bright) sun light during the whole day.

I also have a small Cyathea tomentosissim, which is still too small to report on its adaptation to South Florida –It's looking healthy though (see below)

Unusual for the medullaris to send offshoots. Nice. Tried one but I think it dried out too much. Hear they like sun but should keep the trunk shaded if possible to grow best. Very nice.

June 10, 2018

In addition to C. cooperi, and the variety of it known as C. cooperi "Revolvutum," I am growing C. medullaris and a dozen or so Cibotium glaucum that are flourishing. I have a small Cyathea brownei, C. lepifera, and C. robusta, but it is too early to know whether they will succeed here. I shipped my Cibotium schiedei from SF whenI moved here back in 2015, but it didn't make it--I suspect the shipping rather than the climate. You might also look into Brainea insignis; it needs really tropical temps and protection to grow here (and frankly, the Blechnums do better and look better). Two photos are of C. cooperi "Revolvutum."

June 10, 2018

18 minutes ago, Kaname-kun said:

In addition to C. cooperi, and the variety of it known as C. cooperi "Revolvutum," I am growing C. medullaris and a dozen or so Cibotium glaucum that are flourishing. I have a small Cyathea brownei, C. lepifera, and C. robusta, but it is too early to know whether they will succeed here. I shipped my Cibotium schiedei from SF whenI moved here back in 2015, but it didn't make it--I suspect the shipping rather than the climate. You might also look into Brainea insignis; it needs really tropical temps and protection to grow here (and frankly, the Blechnums do better and look better). Two photos are of C. cooperi "Revolvutum." Next is Cibotium glaucum growing against the house. Then C. glaucum growing with Cyathea cooperi. Next is Cyathea medullari, about 4 feet tall. Finally Cibotium gluacum growing under Angiopteris.

Edited June 10, 2018 by Kaname-kun
Images too large

June 10, 2018

14 hours ago, Cape Garrett said:

Unusual for the medullaris to send offshoots. Nice. Tried one but I think it dried out too much. Hear they like sun but should keep the trunk shaded if possible to grow best. Very nice.

Yes, so unusual for this fern to send offshoots —I've got it from a very reputable grower in California, so I think I have the real deal and it certainly has all the characteristics of a Black Tree Fern. I water mine everyday since it's just a few feet away from a sprinkler head and also from front yard's garden hose. As I mentioned before, my plan is to keep other plants growing next or under it, so the trunk will stay shaded and humid while allowing the fronds to get as much light as possible.

June 10, 2018

One of my Cyathea cooperi "Revolvutum" also sent off offshoots. I wish we could get more tree ferns from Latin America and Asia here, but doesn't seem possible. I'd really like to try Cibotium schiedei again. Mine in San Francisco was five feet tall when I moved . . .

June 10, 2018

8 hours ago, Kaname-kun said:

Very nice. How is the angiopteris doing for you? I ordered one and waiting. Should be here any day now.

June 10, 2018

1 minute ago, Cape Garrett said:

Very nice. How is the angiopteris doing for you? I ordered one and waiting. Should be here any day now.

Tried Cibotium from an offshoot and couldn't keep it alive past the first frond.

June 11, 2018

I've had this Angiopteris (sold to me as A. palmiformis) in the ground for two+ years and it's doing great--survived Irma, too. I have one more massive one--some call it A. "Nova," and some A. smithiii--in the ground.

June 11, 2018

Here is my Dicksonia Antarctica hardiness is around 8b-9a? Not hardy in 8a but this one is special since it came from NZ, not CA. Makes all the difference in hardiness. Not a good tree fern for southern FL but should do good in northern FL. The fronds are at least 6' long and the trunk is almost 8' tall. Been in the ground for at least 10 years. Hard to get a good photo but here goes.

Edited June 11, 2018 by Palm crazy

June 11, 2018

35 minutes ago, Palm crazy said:

Here is my Dicksonia Antarctica hardiness is around 8b-9a? Not hardy in 8a but this one is special since it came from NZ, not CA. Makes all the difference in hardiness. Not a good tree fern for southern FL but should do good in northern FL. The fronds are at least 6' long and the trunk is almost 8' tall. Been in the ground for at least 10 years. Hard to get a good photo but here goes.

At what temps do yours start getting damage? I think I heard that in colder climates this one can defoliate and come back just fine. This one is one of the highest on my list to try. Some of those plant catalogs I've gotten in the mail sell this palm and they tout it as being hardy to zone 6 or 7, but what they really mean is you have to cover it with mulch or wrap it up.

June 12, 2018

Yes, it can defoliate somewhere between 18F-22F depending on how long the cold spell is. Snow is not an issue either. Planting in a microclimate really helps. I use fish fertilizer and sometime will top dress with composted steer manure. 55" of rain a year doesn't hurt either.

Just covering up but not giving any heat its not going to make it in Zone 6 or 7 long term. When it does go into the teens I put a blanket around the trunk and one or two on top and that has done well so far. Mine has gone through 12F for three nights once with five days below freezing...That one was the coldest I've been in the last 20 years. But that cold spell did kill the outermost layer of new fronds. Hope never to get that cold again.

Edited June 12, 2018 by Palm crazy

June 12, 2018

On 6/11/2018, 3:13:23, Palm crazy said:

Here is my Dicksonia Antarctica hardiness is around 8b-9a? Not hardy in 8a but this one is special since it came from NZ, not CA. Makes all the difference in hardiness. Not a good tree fern for southern FL but should do good in northern FL. The fronds are at least 6' long and the trunk is almost 8' tall. Been in the ground for at least 10 years. Hard to get a good photo but here goes.

Very nice. Tried a few here. Even in pots it's just way too hot for them here.

June 28, 2018

Received an angiopteris evecta cutting maybe 2 weeks ago and is already starting a new leaf. You can see the fiddlehead on the left. Highs in the low 90s and lows in the mid to upper 70s. Some rains and super humid here.

June 29, 2018

7 hours ago, Cape Garrett said:

Received an angiopteris evecta cutting maybe 2 weeks ago and is already starting a new leaf. You can see the fiddlehead on the left. Highs in the low 90s and lows in the mid to upper 70s. Some rains and super humid here.

That is some good news. I knew it would grow really fast for you. Mine is still dormant. haha! This is a heat-loving fern it will not grow below 75f so it may not grow for me at all or maybe come August. LOL! Congratulations! :greenthumb: I look forward to seeing the new leaf on yours unfold. They do get really really Big!

June 29, 2018

41 minutes ago, Palm crazy said:

That is some good news. I knew it would grow really fast for you. Mine is still dormant. haha! This is a heat-loving fern it will not grow below 75f so it may not grow for me at all or maybe come August. LOL! Congratulations! I look forward to seeing the new leaf on yours unfold. They do get really really Big!

Will keep you posted. It's a start so we'll see when than unfurls.

July 3, 2018

If it likes the place you put it, you should get a lot of growth this summer. They start slow and gain momentum. My large ones are constantly sending out new fronds . . .

July 4, 2018

Looking forward to it. Potted up for now until it gains some growth. Part sun. Hope when she unfurls it's not too sunny for it. Have to test it I guess.

July 4, 2018

On 6/10/2018, 11:02:47, Kaname-kun said:

In addition to C. cooperi, and the variety of it known as C. cooperi "Revolvutum," I am growing C. medullaris and a dozen or so Cibotium glaucum that are flourishing. I have a small Cyathea brownei, C. lepifera, and C. robusta, but it is too early to know whether they will succeed here. I shipped my Cibotium schiedei from SF whenI moved here back in 2015, but it didn't make it--I suspect the shipping rather than the climate. You might also look into Brainea insignis; it needs really tropical temps and protection to grow here (and frankly, the Blechnums do better and look better). Two photos are of C. cooperi "Revolvutum."

Tried cibotium glaucum. 2 of the 3 I had sent up a few fronds then died. How did you get the cuttings to live? Did you use pots first then plant out? Directly in the ground? Were yours cuttings too when started?

July 4, 2018

My cibotium glaucum were all cuttings from Hawaii. I planted some in pots and some directly in the ground. Though I lost a few, I'd guess about 12-15 survived and flourished (I guess I should actually count them.). A few did just what you describe--send forth a few fronds and then die. I couldn't see any difference in success rate between ground and pots. They took about a year to take off.

July 7, 2018

On 7/4/2018, 11:02:05, Kaname-kun said:

My cibotium glaucum were all cuttings from Hawaii. I planted some in pots and some directly in the ground. Though I lost a few, I'd guess about 12-15 survived and flourished (I guess I should actually count them.). A few did just what you describe--send forth a few fronds and then die. I couldn't see any difference in success rate between ground and pots. They took about a year to take off.

Just ordered 3...will be trying again.

July 7, 2018

Wishing you the best of luck! I started mine in small pots a mixture of peat, humus, and small volcanic rock. Really good drainage, requiring watering twice a day. I waited for one or two fronds before planting in the ground in light shade, too close together--which actually seems to have helped them flourish. Those on the left (five plants?) are all Cibotium glauca except one Cyathea cooperi (that you can only see a little of). To the right is a ten-foot C. cooperi, and there's a C. medullaris tucked under it in the front, not really distinguishable in the photo.

July 7, 2018

41 minutes ago, Kaname-kun said:

Wishing you the best of luck! I started mine in small pots a mixture of peat, humus, and small volcanic rock. Really good drainage, requiring watering twice a day. I waited for one or two fronds before planting in the ground in light shade, too close together--which actually seems to have helped them flourish. Those on the left (five plants?) are all Cibotium glauca except one Cyathea cooperi (that you can only see a little of). To the right is a ten-foot C. cooperi, and there's a C. medullaris tucked under it in the front, not really distinguishable in the photo.

Thanks for the advise but where did you even get volcanic rock? That fern garden looks great. Quite a bit of sun I see...how close did you plant them?

Edited July 7, 2018 by Cape Garrett

July 9, 2018

I get it at Bonsai supply stores. Maybe it's not necessary--I use it because it works great with palms I buy from Hawaii, which are grown in this medium. I guess anything to promote good drainage would function the same way. Some of the ferns are only about three feet apart. The area gets patches of light during the day. It's shaded by a ficus hedge and some huge bald cypresses. On another topic, my tree fern book says that Cyathea contaminans--a terrific tree fern--is grown in the trade in Hawaii. Wish I could find a grower there! It is a giant and the stems of the fronds have a bluish cast.

July 9, 2018

1 hour ago, Kaname-kun said:

I get it at Bonsai supply stores. Maybe it's not necessary--I use it because it works great with palms I buy from Hawaii, which are grown in this medium. I guess anything to promote good drainage would function the same way. Some of the ferns are only about three feet apart. The area gets patches of light during the day. It's shaded by a ficus hedge and some huge bald cypresses. On another topic, my tree fern book says that Cyathea contaminans--a terrific tree fern--is grown in the trade in Hawaii. Wish I could find a grower there! It is a giant and the stems of the fronds have a bluish cast.

I can't say Ive ever seen that fern at any of the nurseries here. In order to protect the native tree fern species I think its heavily discouraged to plant any of the cyathea as cooperi has escaped and degraded native habitats.

July 10, 2018

11 hours ago, Kaname-kun said:

I get it at Bonsai supply stores. Maybe it's not necessary--I use it because it works great with palms I buy from Hawaii, which are grown in this medium. I guess anything to promote good drainage would function the same way. Some of the ferns are only about three feet apart. The area gets patches of light during the day. It's shaded by a ficus hedge and some huge bald cypresses. On another topic, my tree fern book says that Cyathea contaminans--a terrific tree fern--is grown in the trade in Hawaii. Wish I could find a grower there! It is a giant and the stems of the fronds have a bluish cast.

Supposed a low altitude fern tree. Looks as if spores are available but plants...

July 10, 2018

Went to Universal Studios today and their Cyathea Cooperi looked fantastic in the full blazing sun! Was in Jurrasic World. Had to be over 20 feet. Others looked great as well. Just younger. Also their Blechnum gibbum had to have almost 2 foot of trunk on them and quite thick. Beautiful! I can't grow them...caterpillars eat the leaves to nonexistence.

July 10, 2018

The Hawaii Tropical Gardens list a specimen of C. contaminans, but I suspect it isn't grown commercially in Hawaii, contrary to what the book says. I might try growing from spore. Check back with me in twenty years . . . Ha!

July 10, 2018

I know. If I had the time and patience I would try spores myself. Another unusual one that should do well in Florida is Cyathea robertsiana. This species looks very delicate with a very thin trunk. Looks to take a bit of sun though and more of a warm, tropical climate. From NE Australia. Google it. Very different look with the thin trunk.

July 11, 2018

Just received a young Angiopteris palmiformis (angustifolia syn??) as well. Not sure the differences, if any, compared with evecta. Small potted plant. I'll need another yard with these two if things go well.

July 14, 2018

I treat A. palmiformis as a synonym for A. angustifolia because I have bought what certainly appears to be the same plant under both names. You will love it, Garret. It is much lacier than A. evecta.

July 14, 2018

Looking forward to watching their growth and seeing the differences between them. The palmiformis has 3 leaves. Evecta's first frond is almost unfurled.

July 28, 2018

On 7/14/2018, 4:08:37, Kaname-kun said:

I treat A. palmiformis as a synonym for A. angustifolia because I have bought what certainly appears to be the same plant under both names. You will love it, Garret. It is much lacier than A. evecta.

On 7/4/2018, 11:02:05, Kaname-kun said:

My cibotium glaucum were all cuttings from Hawaii. I planted some in pots and some directly in the ground. Though I lost a few, I'd guess about 12-15 survived and flourished (I guess I should actually count them.). A few did just what you describe--send forth a few fronds and then die. I couldn't see any difference in success rate between ground and pots. They took about a year to take off.

Just ordered 3...will be trying again.

July 28, 2018

First leaf of A evecta...was pretty quick to throw it's first leaf. Just over a month since I received and potted it up. The one smaller plant below the leaf is A. palmiformis. Picture is above.

Edited July 28, 2018 by Cape Garrett

July 28, 2018

Also just received a Cibotium barometz from Thailand. Looks healthy.

July 28, 2018

17 hours ago, Cape Garrett said:

Also just received a Cibotium barometz from Thailand. Looks healthy.

Nice looking tree ferns, I almost bought a C. barometz last year. But decided it to tropical for my climate. Glad you did it very tropical looking.

Edited July 28, 2018 by Palm crazy

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Tree ferns

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