Alsophila Species, Rough Tree Fern

I started spores of this tree fern in March of 2015 and as Dec 2015 have four small 2" ferns growing indoors with the intent of growing t...Read Morehem on my balcony. I could have had many more, but even four, if they do well, will be more than enough. I put the remaining prothallus plus one just starting to develop into a recognizable fern outdoors, and, to my surprise have survived light frosts.

This is the first time I have intentionally grown ferns from spores. Living in the damp cool Pacific Northwest of the US, we have many native ferns that spontaneously grow in abundance in the ground or in pots.

Cyathea australis is native to Australia (Queensland, New South Wales, and Tasmania). This species is tolerant of wet or poorly drained s...Read Moreoils.

The subspecies norfolkensis is endemic to Norfolk Island:

Cyathea are listed on CITES Appendix II.

This tree fern is the commonest species in southern Australia, growing in large numbers in wet schlerophyll forest and rainforest. It is ...Read Moreusually about 3 metres tall, but can grow as high as 15 metres. The name Rough Tree Fern relates to the trunk, which is rough because it is covered with the bases of all the old fronds. It also contrasts it with the Soft Tree Fern - Dicksonia antarctica, which grows with it.

The Soft Tree Fern has a smooth fibrous trunk with no remnants of the old fronds. It is nowhere near as common in cultivation as the Soft Tree Fern, because it does not transplant easily and is very slow growing from spores.