Dicksonia antarctica (Small Size Trunk Tree Fern)

Soft Tree Fern

(40 customer reviews)

The easiest tree fern to cultivate in the UK, Dicksonia antarctica has spectacular crowns of huge, finely dissected foliage on magnificent broad fibrous trunks.

This Dicksonia antactica has a small sized trunk, sized between 1 – 2 feet tall.

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These images are for illustration purposes only. Plants are delivered in nursery pots and other individual features may not be present due to seasonality.

Origin: Australia and Tasmania
Genus: Dicksonia
Species / Cultivar: antarctica
Common Name: Soft Tree Fern
Synonym: Balantium antarcticum

Plant Biography

Dicksonia are amongst the oldest plants in the world, they even pre-date dinosaurs, existing long before flowering plants evolved. The tall tree fern specimens you can find in wild forests of Australia and New Zealand can be several centuries old.

Dicksonia antarctica (Small Size Trunk Tree Fern)
Soil: Moisture Retaining
Soil that drains at a slower rate due to higher organic matter content.
Growth Rate: Medium
Expect to see moderate growth during growing season.
Water Requirement: High
Likely to require supplementary watering in warmer months, even once established.
Maintenance: A little
Easy to look after but may occasionally require some attention in order to thrive.
Situation: Part Shade
Enjoys several hours of direct sunlight but may enjoy dappling or shade at midday.
Eventual Height: 6m
The plant's ultimate height in typical growing conditions.
Eventual Spread: 4m
The plant's ultimate spread in typical growing conditions.
Hardiness: Hardy
Survives unprotected in an average winter. May need protection in extreme long frosts.
Habit: Semi Evergreen
May only remain evergreen in milder winters, or only loose leaves for a short period.

Expert Tip

We do not recommend cutting the fronds of the tree ferns as this will lead to the trunk becoming thinner as the plant grows.
Sustainably Sourced

Sustainably Sourced

Most of the larger D.antarctica tree ferns we sell come from Victoria, Australia, whilst the juvenile specimens are grown in Europe.

The trunks of D.antarctica are collected from the wild under the strict monitoring of The Department for Sustainability and Environment, under the Flora and Fauna Act of 1988. This ensures that the harvesting is done in a sustainable way, that will not damage the survival of the ecosystem.

Care & Size Guidance

Care & Size Guidance

Dicksonia antarctica is one of the hardier tree ferns suitable in the UK climate. It prefers a position in dappled shade and requires regular watering at the crown throughout spring and summer in order to keep the trunk damp.

In winter, provide some protection for the crown, for instance with the fleece jackets we offer, against frosts.

Dicksonia antarctica are really slow growing, only gaining about 1-2 inches per year in trunk height. A mature plant, with only 2 ft of trunk, can take 25 to 30 years to grow! When planting a tree fern you will lose some height in order to plant it stably in the ground – for instance about a foot on a medium sized tree fern (but much less on a small). Thus we recommend buying a tree fern in the size you want now rather than hoping to see it grow quickly.

Tree fern arrived today. It was beautifully packed and arrived in perfect condition. Easily understood directions enclosed which was excellent

Brian L

Tree fern arrived today. It was beautifully packed and arrived in perfect condition. Easily understood directions enclosed which was excellent

40 customer reviews for Dicksonia antarctica (Small Size Trunk Tree Fern)

I ordered this as it was a good price and looked really healthy, i have two older tree ferns and seven that have not got their trunks yet, so i thought this one would be a great one to add to the collection, i was very happy with my purchase, wonderful service in communication, speed of delivery, packaged up and quality i would definitely use The Palm centre again, very happy thank you so much!! 🙂 ***** all the way

Caz (verified owner)

Took delivery of my Dicksonia antarctica last week. It was a pleasure to unbox, with so many fronds appearing which have turned into beautiful ferns as the days have progressed. There are still many more appearing.
Look forward to owning another one in the not too distant future.

Denise Baker (verified owner)

We’re more than pleased with the tree fern delivered in a good sized container in a well packed box. When delivered it was already showing the start of three fronds uncurling which all grew more than two feet in the next 2 weeks. We prepared the ground in a shady position in the garden with the addition of good soil and continuous release fertiliser.
We now have two more fronds making a total of five after only 3 weeks.
The original fronds are over 1.3 metres long in excellent condition.
This is one of those few purchases which exceeds our expectations.

Alan Payne (verified owner)

I ordered a 1ft Dicksonia antarctica as a gift for my partner. A starting size and first in these types of plants for us. It has arrived quickly, very well packaged and looks very healthy. Thank you Palm Centre. I’m sure we’ll be ordering again from you.

Amanda