Tree Fern questions?

[Allen]

What is the cold hardiest tree fern that looks good?  is it possible to buy a fairly large tree fern?  I'd like to bring it inside in a pot if it won't live here.

[Chester B]

Dicksonia antarctica is the one that immediately comes to mind.  Yes you can buy trunking specimens but be prepared to fork out some bucks, they grow like an inch a year.  They won't survive unprotected in your growing zone, as the crown is pretty tender to frost.  I'm in 8B and here they are pretty marginal, you just don't seem them around.  I do have one and may get a bigger one next year with the expectation that I will have to protect.  The other thing is they come from a moist environment so you also have to water the entire plant often.

[PalmatierMeg]

The problem with many cold hardy tree ferns like Dicksonia and many Cyathea is while they may be somewhat cold tolerant, they are quite heat sensitive and cannot survive hot, humid summers in the SE US unless kept indoors in a/c. I've tried a number of Cyathea spp here in FL and almost all melted in my swelter. Dicksonia antarctica is hopeless here.

I would love to try some Puerto Rican tree ferns but they are impossible to find.

[Ben in Norcal]

4 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

The problem with many cold hardy tree ferns like Dicksonia and many Cyathea is while they may be somewhat cold tolerant, they are quite heat sensitive and cannot survive hot, humid summers in the SE US unless kept indoors in a/c. I've tried a number of Cyathea spp here in FL and almost all melted in my swelter. Dicksonia antarctica is hopeless here.

 I would love to try some Puerto Rican tree ferns but they are impossible to find.

These both do quite well here in the heat, they don't blink at a week or more above 100, and temps up to 115.   There are some larger specimens of Cyathea locally, and they don't mind the heat at all as long as they have some afternoon shade.  I wonder if heat AND humidity is the bigger issue?  Or, the fact that you don't cool off at night?  We always drop below 70 at night, so I suspect that provides relief.

[PalmatierMeg]

4 hours ago, Ben in Norcal said:

These both do quite well here in the heat, they don't blink at a week or more above 100, and temps up to 115.   There are some larger specimens of Cyathea locally, and they don't mind the heat at all as long as they have some afternoon shade.  I wonder if heat AND humidity is the bigger issue?  Or, the fact that you don't cool off at night?  We always drop below 70 at night, so I suspect that provides relief.

You are spot on. The 24-hour swelter really gets to them.

[Allen]

Thanks for all the info!  If someone sees a big one in the spring somewhere in the southeast let me know and I'll have it brought over some way.

[Kaname-kun]

I've had a different experience than Meg. I'm in Fort Lauderdale and have about 24 Cyathea and Cibotium tree ferns growing in the ground, some 15 feet tall. They've been here five years. and all were started as small plants. Certain Cyathea species do indeed melt, but Cyathea cooperi and its cultivars do well, as do Cyathea medullaris and robusta. The Hawaiian tree fern Cibotium glauca also does very well. Careful siting (shade and some wind protection) and regular watering are the key.  

[Merlyn]

I had several Cyathea cooperi in the ground a couple of years ago, they all did "ok" with the heat until we hit a drought time in late August in the summer of 2018.  3 of the 5 died immediately without supplemental daily irrigation, and the other 2 died right after I had a nearby shading water oak cut down.  In a shady, moist area they'd probably be fine.  I'll try them again once I regain some canopy.

[Silas_Sancona]

The first time i lived in Florida, i'd also wondered whether or not any of the Tree Ferns could be grown. Not seeing any around where i lived, assumed it was probably too hot.. Then i made my first trip to Selby Botanical in Sarasota to attend a plant sale. Can't remember which sp. they were.

Pretty much as soon as you reach the entrance, you're greeted by numerous, healthy specimens. Didn't get pics of those when i made another trip there in 2016 but here's a couple different angles of some others in another area of the garden. After i'd seen them at Selby back in 2011, i started seeing occasional plants at subsequent plant sales around Tampa that spring.  There's at least two Kentia at Selby also.. Wonder how they're doing atm.  Anyway, Would agree that planting them under shade canopy is a step toward succeeding w/ them in Florida, or other places where it stays hot and humid 24-7 thru the summer.

Selby Botanical, 2/2016: