Let's See Your Treeferns...

[palmsOrl]

I put the tree ferns and other ferns out on this rainy night to get some rainwater before the weather begins to dry out.  We have had on and off rain for about 7 hours now and have probably picked up 1-2 inches so far.  I will take it, as the rain we have been getting has often not been heavy and sustained enough to start pouring through the overhead canopy and the crowns of the potted plants and then actually soak the entire rootballs of the plants.

[kinzyjr]

Happened across this one recently:

 

[palmsOrl]

My Hawaiian tree fern (Cibotium glaucum) is not looking half bad.  I think it is trying to decide if it likes Florida or not.  The newest couple fronds are retracted a bit.  I think it will do fine during October through April, though it will undoubtedly resent any weather below 50F.  The summer, I don't know.

[Kaname-kun]

I have about a dozen, 7 in the ground, and they do fine in the summer in Fort Lauderdale.

 

[palmsOrl]

Yeah, I suspect many would do fine in Central and South Florida if situated in enough shade and given rich soil and consistent moisture (always).  I think that most failures that are attributed to the heat or other factors are due to the tree ferns drying out.  Even a single occasion of drying out will absolutely kill an Australian tree fern and they are the easiest to grow here in Florida (unless some lesser known species that hasn't been tried is actually easier).

I'm sure there are also those here that plant tree ferns in too much sun and that will do it to.  Every single tree fern I see locally is growing in complete or mostly shade (without exception).

As for the FIVE I have lost, it was really because I made chop suey out of the little plants' root systems with a chopstick, the intention being to decompress and aerate the substrate.  Needless to say, I now know that this oft recommended technique is effective and not harmful in the culture of bonsai but not so much for potted tree ferns.

So, that leaves me with a lovely Blechnum gibbum, my Cibotium glaucum, the Cyathea cooperi and two homely Blechnum brasiliense "Cristatum".  Really, they're ugly, but they're mine, so...

-Michael

[edbrown_III]

bummer dry out so easy sometimes 

[Kailua_Krish]

On 10/2/2020 at 8:24 AM, palmsOrl said:

My Hawaiian tree fern (Cibotium glaucum) is not looking half bad.  I think it is trying to decide if it likes Florida or not.  The newest couple fronds are retracted a bit.  I think it will do fine during October through April, though it will undoubtedly resent any weather below 50F.  The summer, I don't know.

Volcano, Hawaii (where they are literally everywhere) averages 50 degrees lows in the winter. They're fine for most things except frost and they don't love full baking costal sun. Hapu'u are more resilient than you'd think but are very slow growers.

[palmsOrl]

Thank you for the information krishnaraoji88.  I remember admiring these during my visits to the Big Island.  We stayed in a little bed and breakfast in Volcano, what a peaceful place.

Our average low during our coldest month is also 50F, but of course we get the cold snaps that take us as low as the low- to mid-30s in an average year and rarely into the 20s.  We used to average 2-3 nights in the mid- to -upper 20s per year, but this is far from the case now.  I will only protect this particular tree fern from temperatures below 40F.  I might even test it to see how it handles mid-30s on the screened porch, where it will be a tad warmer.

[Mr.Piriyakul]

On 6/4/2020 at 5:31 PM, Kaname-kun said:

And two Angiopteris thrown in.

How do they do with you? I have mine in partial sun. Would it prefer shade or to be wetter? I'm in south Florida so wet isn't a problem for me.

 

[Kaname-kun]

I have four species of angiopteris and they all do great. Partial sun / partial shade and daily watering. Sometimes I plant them directly in the ground, and I have also experimented withg planting them in tubs without bottoms, so they can grow into the ground.

[aabell]

Just hit the 2 year mark on this cooperi in the ground in FL. One of the box stores here sells them dirt cheap in 1gal, while you can go to a fancy garden center and pay $100+ for one smaller than mine is now. Anyway, it's adding trunk at a steady pace. The only issue I've had is that even though it's in a protected northeast corner, the sun still manages to hit it from directly overhead in the middle of the summer and the tender new leaves always get badly burned. Might try to avoid that this year with some extra irrigation.  

Edited March 28, 2021 by aabell

[Paradise Found]

My tree fern is hard to take a picture of so here are some pictures from 2013 before all the other plants overtook the space, lol. 

Dicksonia A. Snow Frost not a problem for this tree fern, evergreen down to 25F.

 

[PalmCode]

Here's my Blechnum fraseri - ''miniature tree fern'' that I transplanted from the ground into a pot. Hoping to get a bonsai vibe from it. It allready has a new one coming up.

Edited April 22, 2021 by PalmCode

[Paradise Found]

13 hours ago, PalmCode said:

Here's my Blechnum fraseri - ''miniature tree fern'' that I transplanted from the ground into a pot. Hoping to get a bonsai vibe from it. It allready has a new one coming up.

Love that little tree fern, can't seem to get any here in the States.  

[Nisa.pap]

Hey there!

I live in Haiti and we have a few endemic tree fern species here but most of the ones found in the wild are: Alsophila minor, Cyathea harrisii, Alsophila woodwardioides, Cyathea furfuracea

I want to start a tree fern collection and will start with the ones I find here in the wild. Found a small one, don't know which specie but i'll find out!

I often travel to south Florida (Miami) and wanted to know if any of you knew a nursery or 2 that sell small tree ferns? I'll try ebay and Lukas nursery but would love to have a good variety of species.

Best!

[DAVEinMB]

Not the best pic but I'm stoked about the find so here ya go. Was just labeled as Australian Tree Fern so not entirely sure of the genus / species. 

[Darold Petty]

"Australian Tree Fern"    Here in California that term would refer to Cyathea cooperi.   

[DAVEinMB]

@Darold Petty awesome, thanks! When I googled the common name two species of cyathea popped up as well as dicksonia 

[John2468]

This is an off topic question, but has anyone had success air layering Australian tree ferns?

[Steve Mac]

Mate, Michael, I would not be too hard on that ebay bloke, about "Chernobyl".    My Oceanopteris gibba is doing something similar and it is over ten yrs in the ground.

It has bifurcated (split), fascinated (gone flat not round) and is becoming very congested in one of the crowns at least, due to the litter from the overhead Camellias,I presume. It may be a common characteristic. I don't know?

 

[Steve Mac]

And this is one of the Mothers who are protecting my little palms. Obviously Cyathea cooperii.

[mwardlow]

Thought it was time for a 1 year update on my Cyathea Robusta. First picture is from May 2020.

[mwardlow]

First time my Sadleria Cyatheoides has put out such a colorful leaf. Orange Crozier is very colorful right now too. The other one is Orange Giant that was a small 4 inch 6 months ago.

[HiwaKika]

[edbrown_III]

wow and salute 

 

[HiwaKika]

Got a pair of indoor Hapu'u Cibotium glaucums that produce good sized long stem fronds that don't stay vertical. When fully unfurled they can't hold their own weight and bow or droop.

Wish I knew why or what they're missing (besides Hawaii). Room kept at mid 70s. Plenty of indirect sun all day in a bright space.

 

[mwardlow]

Cyathea Robusta and Cyathea medullaris really growing fast.

[tinman10101]

7 minutes ago, mwardlow said:

Cyathea Robusta and Cyathea medullaris really growing fast.

those are beautiful!!   i am just starting to get into tree ferns. i was wondering where to find the orange crozier or orange giant.  i didnt see it listed on the fern factory website.  i did get a medullaris and brownii and can only hope they grow up as nicely and robust as yours under my canopy.  cheers

tin

*edit:  it almost seem like fern factory is always sold out.  there must be a huge demand for his ferns.  

[mwardlow]

Thank's Tin. Tree ferns add another texture to the garden.  Jim's web site has been under repair but you can contact him directly and go the nursery by appointment.

[BS Man about Palms]

17 hours ago, mwardlow said:

Cyathea Robusta and Cyathea medullaris really growing fast.

Yep! 

It was touring your garden that gave me the bug! I went the next day and grabbed 8 or so... fell in love with the robusta and got two.. 

I'm also finding out how fragile, yet at the same time how hardy they are!!

[tinman10101]

29 minutes ago, BS Man about Palms said:

Yep! 

It was touring your garden that gave me the bug! I went the next day and grabbed 8 or so... fell in love with the robusta and got two.. 

I'm also finding out how fragile, yet at the same time how hardy they are!!

Where do you plan on planting those Bill? LoL. JK I'm sure they will fit right in in your jungle. 

[aabell]

On 3/28/2021 at 11:25 AM, aabell said:

Just hit the 2 year mark on this cooperi in the ground in FL. One of the box stores here sells them dirt cheap in 1gal, while you can go to a fancy garden center and pay $100+ for one smaller than mine is now. Anyway, it's adding trunk at a steady pace. The only issue I've had is that even though it's in a protected northeast corner, the sun still manages to hit it from directly overhead in the middle of the summer and the tender new leaves always get badly burned. Might try to avoid that this year with some extra irrigation.  

 

Update on this one... really exploded this summer.

[Paradise Found]

Is anyone else growing C. Atrox tree fern? I love to see a more mature picture if anyone has one?

[BS Man about Palms]

2 hours ago, tinman10101 said:

Where do you plan on planting those Bill? LoL. JK I'm sure they will fit right in in your jungle. 

 

24 minutes ago, Paradise Found said:

Is anyone else growing C. Atrox tree fern? I love to see a more mature picture if anyone has one?

Tin... just various spots. you know.. 

 

As for my earlier point and regarding PFs post, I DID plant a 1 gal "maybe atrox" soon after purchase. I figured it would grow quick, no need to cage, etc. 

I planted it, no cage late afternoon. Did not look the next day, but looked the next morning and a racoon or something said.. "the hell with this!!" It had chewed off/down all the leaves, pulled the plant outta the ground (had in loose mulch) and laying on its side..  Glad I bought TWO!

Put it back in the pot, kept water and it pushed a leaf, yay! Which a couple weeks later I proceeded to nearly break off with a water hose dragging by and popped up.. ggrrr. but still growing

I DID cage and plant the 2nd one and it has pushed a nice leave and growing well!

 

Like I said, fragile and hardy

 

[Paradise Found]

1 hour ago, BS Man about Palms said:

Like I said, fragile and hardy

 

Man what an ordeal that must of been! Glad they are doing good.  Yeah, you have to watch out for those city critters that will destroy a plant in the middle of the night.  So far no damage on mine, but I'll keep them inside a shed for winter for their own protection.

The first pic is when they were just potted up 2018.

Second one is this year 2021. In a raised planter for closer viewing. 

Very happy with their growth and look.  And, they start growing at really cool temperatures like the 50's and 60's.  The super heatwave we had this summer did not bother them either. ( 106F) in shade. 

Edited December 18, 2021 by Paradise Found

[iDesign]

Thought you'd get a kick out of our strategic fern placement.

Our hill is under construction, with most of the new plants going in this Spring. But we took a moment two Springs ago to plant some Australian Tree ferns at the top of the hill. We prioritized those plants after we learned that the home above us was being sold... wanted to get them in before the new neighbors moved in, so as not to offend. Hoping they'll grow REALLY tall, then we can put a second layer of ferns (or something else) beneath them. We still need something tall for the right corner (open to suggestions... ideally something in a color other than medium green).

The front three ferns are the "rough" version (Cyathea australis), with the center one splitting into a double. Then there are two "lacy" (Cyathea cooperi) ones behind those. We were a little worried about them getting so much sun (they're in direct sun in this photo, but are in shade part of the day). Not the best placement, but they've done pretty well over both summers... as long as we give them lots of water. Hoping they'll provide some needed privacy, and help set a tropical mood. Many more tropical plants to come soon (you won't see any of the "bricks" a year from now).

Edited December 18, 2021 by idesign123

[Darold Petty]

I grow Cyathea australis, Cyathea medularis and Sadleria cyathoides,   I plan to post images soon.   (super busy right now)

[realarch]

First off, thanks Loke for starting this thread. I have some tree ferns growing in the garden, some were already here and others have been acquired along the way. As far as tree fern culture, I don’t have the knowledge to know better. Here are a few photos.

Some endemic Cibotium menziesii or C. glaucum

Tim

 

[realarch]

Here are three Blechnum gibbum I recently picked up locally. I saw one in a local garden and ‘just had to have some.

Tim

 

[realarch]

About eight or nine years ago a friend up the coast offered me some New Cal. tree fern seedlings if I wanted to dig them up. One died, one is a hybrid, and the other might just be the real deal. Here is the hybrid, not too tall with an beefy trunk base. It’s planted among the Hawaiian tree ferns. 

Tim