Sphaeropteris cooperi
Native to Australia, this tree fern can reach heights upwards of 50 feet, with individual fronds reaching 10-20 feet in length. The form resembles a martini glass with gracefully arching fronds emerging from a skinny trunk. Commonly grown as a houseplant or as a tropical container specimen. Keep the trunk moist to maintain a healthy plant. Weedy tendencies. Sphaeropteris cooperi, synonym Cyathea cooperi, also known as lacy tree fern, scaly tree fern, or Cooper's tree fern.
Rough tree fern
Dicksonia squarrosa, the New Zealand tree fern, whekī or rough tree fern, is a common tree fern endemic to New Zealand. It has a slender black trunk that is usually surrounded by many dead brown fronds.
Cyathea australis
Cyathea australis – A large, evergreen fern with a rough, thick trunk. It grows up to 4 metres high pretty quickly with a spread of 6-8 metres and each frond can reach up to 4 metres long in good conditions! The Cyathea tolerates the sun as long as the soil is moist, but does need a good sheltered site to thrive. Some sources suggest it’s hardier than a Dicksonia Antarctica. It will be hardy to minus 8 degrees centigrade, but be aware that the fronds will get frosted in severe winters, so give the plant protection. Probably the best tree fern for a sunny site with its large evergreen fern and hairy trunk.
Cyathea spinulosa
Cyathea spinulosa is a tree fern native to Asia, which can reach 15 meters in height of trunk, this one of blackish color.
The most peculiar thing about this species is the existence of pronounced spines on its petioles, which undoubtedly give it a very unique appearance.
The trunk in an adult specimen reaches 20 cm in diameter, covered with glossy dark brown scales, the bright green fronds can reach 3 and a half meters in length.
Dicksonia sellowiana
Dicksonia sellowiana comes from from South America (from southern Mexico all the way down as far as Uruguay) can now be rated hardy along with lines of Dicksonia antarctica and Dicksonia fibrosa. It’s trunk height can grow up to 10 metres which is very fibrous and similar in this respect to Dicksonia fibrosa. Fronds are tripinnate and have an overall maximum length of up to 3 metres on larger plants. Their usual habitat would be in high altitude in cool montane rain forest regions.
Flying Spider-monkey tree fern
A beautiful, medium-sized tree fern that grows a slender trunk to about 6 m tall with attractive, light colored, round leaf scars and which holds an ascending or spreading crown of large, tripinnatefronds with pale undersides and stalks densely covered in fine, pale golden brown scales. It is native to montane forests from southern China and the Ryukyu Islands to Taiwan, the Philippines and New Guinea and prefers open situations between 2000 and 2900 m.
Cibotium barometz
Cibotium barometz, the barometz, golden chicken fern or woolly fern, is a species of tree fern native to parts of China and to the western part of the Malay Peninsula. The fern's woolly rhizome was thought to be the inspiration for the mythical "Vegetable Lamb of Tartary".
Cyathea smithii
A slow-growing tree fern with an upright trunk covered in chestnut-coloured scales eventually reaching 5-8m tall. Fronds to 2.5m long are held horizontally from the crown and made up of soft, delicate leaflets, the longest reaching to 50cm, dark green above and paler green on the undersides.
Cyathea felina
Cyathea felina, or Sphaeropteris felina, is a species of tree fern native to New Guinea, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia, where it is listed as an endangered species in the state of Queensland.
It is a rare species of tree fern that inhabits coastal areas and humid forests, generally in partially shady locations, but it also tolerates direct sun.
It can exceed 8 metres in height and 30 centimetres in trunk diameter. Its fronds can reach up to 4 metres in length and they grow upright, which gives it a cup-like appearance. Its trunk and stipes are full of dense, light-brown to golden furry scales, like its young furling fronds.
It is undoubtedly a robust species of tree fern with a very unique appearance that is highly valued due to the scarcity of its natural habitat.
Hypolepis dicksonioides
Hypolepis dicksonioides is a very exciting fast growing giant fern growing to over 2 metres high in just a couple of years. The emerging croziers are much like it’s namesake, the tree ferns of the family Dicksonia, where Hypolepis dicksonioides differs is that the base of the fern remains below ground with the rapid hieght being made up by the sturdy stems holding the feathery classic fern like leaves. Originating from Australasia and parts of South East Asia this fern is an opportunistic coloniser of bare ground hence its incredible fast growth in the race for light amongst other plants.
Dicksonia antarctica
As one of the oldest plants in the world the Dicksonia Antarctica is a fantastic addition to any garden. Not only is it one of the easier tree ferns to grow, it is also one of the most affordable. Native to Australia this dramatic plant can be found from Queensland to Tasmania and prefers to grow in a sheltered spot with partial to full shade. As one of the hardier tree ferns it can suit the milder British climate with some protection in winter. It will grow up to a few metres in size producing masses of large, ornate, dark-green fronds.
Tree ferns are slow growing and will only grow about 3-5cm per year. Therefore, when deciding which tree fern to buy it is normally best to go for one that is close to the size that you eventually want it to be. For example, a three foot tree fern is normally at least 36 years old!
Cyathea arborea
Surely you have occasionally seen short ferns, which can be had as indoor plants in pots as centerpieces, but did you know that there are some that reach impressive heights? One of the most beautiful is the Cyathea arborea, much better known as giant fern.
With its 9 meters high and with fronds (leaves) of just over 1 meter, it is a plant that will look great in a corner protected from direct sun, since it will give you a tropical touch that is very, very sought after in the gardens.
Alsophila cunninghamii
Cyathea are evergreen tree ferns, but may be deciduous in cold areas, the rhizome forming an erect trunk clothed in fibrous roots, bearing large, pinnately-divided fronds with scaly stalks, in a rosette at the top.
Cibotium menziesii
Cibotium menziesii, the hāpuʻu ʻiʻi or Hawaiian tree fern, is a species of tree fern that is endemic to the islands of Hawaiʻi. It is named after the Scottish naturalist Archibald Menzies. It is also known as the male tree fern, and Cibotium glaucum is deemed the female tree fern due to differences in color.
Cibotium schiedei
Cibotiun schiedei is a species of tree fern native to Mexico, in the states of Veracruz and Oaxaca, where it inhabits humid forests in coastal areas and is protected by Mexican legislation under the category of “endangered.” It is an authentic botanical gem; it grows slowly, but the trunk can reach up to 5 metres in length and the stipe is covered with blond to light brown hairs.
The most striking thing about this species are its majestic, arching fronds, which can reach 3.5 metres in length. They are light green with elongated pinnae, which give it tremendous ornamental value. This species can be found in some botanical gardens.
The most mature specimens produce shoots around them that, if they are not separated from the parent, will end up forming a new group of tree ferns.