Soft Tree Fern
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3Will it grow where I live?
Soft Tree Fern is only hardy to zone 8, so outdoors year-round it needs the mildest spots in Central Europe – wine-growing regions, the Rhine valley, coasts, Lake Constance, Ticino – or a container overwintered under cover. Most of the British Isles and the Pacific coast of North America qualify.
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Profile
- Family
- Dicksoniaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Height
- 5 m
- Spread
- 2.5 m
- Growth
- very slow
- Lifespan
- 300 years
- Hardiness
- zone 8–10
- Shade tolerance
- partial shade
- Soil
- Sand, Silt
- Soil moisture
- semi-dry – very wet
- pH
- 4.5 – 6.5
Uses
Growing
Needs moist, humus-rich, acidic soil in a sheltered, partly shaded spot with high humidity. Keep the trunk moist; in cool sites protect the growing point in winter.
Frequently asked questions
Soft Tree Fern: how big does it get?
Soft Tree Fern (Dicksonia antarctica) grows as a Tree and reaches roughly 5 m in height when mature, with a spread of about 2.5 m. Growth is very slow.
Soft Tree Fern: what site does it need?
Soft Tree Fern tolerates partial shade. Suitable soils are Sand, Silt. Soil moisture should be in the range semi-dry – very wet. The pH may lie between 4.5 and 6.5.
Soft Tree Fern: is it hardy?
Soft Tree Fern is listed as hardy in zone 8–10 and survives normal winters outdoors there.
Soft Tree Fern: will it grow in Central Europe?
Soft Tree Fern is only hardy to zone 8, so outdoors year-round it needs the mildest spots in Central Europe – wine-growing regions, the Rhine valley, coasts, Lake Constance, Ticino – or a container overwintered under cover. Most of the British Isles and the Pacific coast of North America qualify.
Soft Tree Fern: is it poisonous?
No toxicity is recorded for Soft Tree Fern. With wild plants, never rely on a database alone — only on a confident identification.
Soft Tree Fern: what is it used for?
Rated on a scale up to 10: Edible 2/10, Medicinal 1/10, Other uses 3/10.
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