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Cyathea australis - Rough Tree Fern - SEED PIC
Cyathea australis - Rough Tree Fern - 20 Spores

Cyathea australis – Rough Tree Fern

$4.00 – $7.00

The Rough Tree Fern ( Cyathea australis ) is as the name suggests native to Australia. This species is generally found growing along the east coast of from as high as Rockhampton to as low as Tasmania. It is cold tolerant and although prefers a part shaded location, will also grow happily in a full sun location.

Cyathea australis is a tree fern and can get to heights of around 10 metres tall in their natural mountainous rainforest habitat. The Rough Tree Fern can not be grown from trunk cut off’s like many other ferns, it can only be propagated by spores.

Suitable for pot and container growing. Cold to Sub-Tropical Climates.

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The Rough Tree Fern ( Cyathea australis ) is as the name suggests native to Australia. This species is generally found growing along the east coast of from as high as Rockhampton to as low as Tasmania. It is cold tolerant and although prefers a part shaded location, will also grow happily in a full sun location.

Cyathea australis is a tree fern and can get to heights of around 10 metres tall in their natural mountainous rainforest habitat. The Rough Tree Fern can not be grown from trunk cut off’s like many other ferns, it can only be propagated by spores. If you see a fern trunk labelled as a Rough Tree Fern for sale in a nursery; it will be a different species and incorrectly labelled, as the Cyathea australis can not be grown from trunk cuttings.

Suitable for Cold to Tropical Climates. Live in a cool climate but looking for ferns that will grow in your zone and give that tropical appeal? Here’s another cold tolerant fern species – Ostrich Fern.

Growth

The trunk of the Rough Tree Fern grows on average to 7-10 metres tall and a width of 30 cm’s. Its beautiful large fronds can get to lengths of 3-4 metres as a mature tree, which can give it a massive spread of 7-8 metres. Cyathea australis gets the common name ‘Rough’ from the rough nodules and furry scales that grow on its frond stalks, these features make this species easily recognisable from other fern species.

Although it is cold tolerant down to -7°C, frost can damage young fronds. In cooler regions it is best to plant these in an area where they will be protected from frosty cold winds; as they would by other trees in their natural habitat. Mulching around the base or using river stones will help keep humidity around the plant for optimum growth.

The Rough Tree Fern is suitable for growing in containers and will give a gorgeous rainforest feel to any garden.

FAMILY:

Cyatheaceae

CLIMATE:

Cold to Sub-Tropical

TEMPERATURE RANGE:

-7 to 36°C / 20 to 97°F

SOIL TYPE:

Moist but not soggy soils, tolerant of sandy loam to clay soils.

LOCATION:

Full Shade to Full Sun

HEIGHT:

Up to 10 metres (32 feet)

WIDTH:

Up to 8 metres (26 feet)

pH:

6.0-7.0

GROWTH TYPE:

Evergreen

WATER REQUIREMENTS:

Medium.

POLLINATION:

Spores form on the underside of the fronds, which have both male and female organisms present.

MATURITY:

2-5 years

GERMINATION RATES:

70-80%

GERMINATION TIME:

Germination process will usually begin around 2-6 weeks, however it may be many months before they start to look like little ferns.

SEEDS PER GRAM:

Too many to count – well into the hundreds of thousands.

MEDICINAL QUALITIES:

No

WEED POTENTIAL:

No

EDIBLE:

No

SPORE STORAGE & VIABILITY:

Cold storage at 4°C (fridge) – 1 year


FACTS ABOUT CYATHEA AUSTRALIS (Rough Tree Fern)

 

Cyathea australis, although not tolerant of salty soils, copes well with salty winds in coastal areas.

This species is important ecologically in Australia because it provides a home to one of our native bees. These bees are useful pollinators for many of our native species.

Cyathea australis is also has a synonym of Alsophila australis.

Weight 0.5 kg
Dimensions 26 × 16 × .5 cm
Quantity

20 Spores, 100 Spores, Sporeling

Germination Instructions

HOW TO GROW CYATHEA AUSTRALIS (Rough Tree Fern)

 

Step 1
We cant recommend highly enough how important it is to use a sterile medium for ferns!

Preferably use a new pot/tray … or if you are using a container that has been used prior, scrub it with a 10% bleach solution to kill any pathogens.

You can sterilise your soil (medium) by heating it to 60°C/150°F.  This can be achieved by putting your pre-moistened medium into a microwave or oven in a suitable container and checking with a meat thermometer that the above temperature has been reached all the way to the middle.

Step 2
Leave your medium to cool in the oven or microwave to avoid any contaminants entering your sterile medium or cover with some tin foil. This can take a couple of hours

Pour your medium into your new or cleaned pot/tray. We personally use clear containers – a Chinese takeaway container or a container base inside a zip lock bag is fine!  If the medium is not moist enough, use a spray bottle of cooled boiled water to moisten.

Step 3
Once the soil is cooled, sprinkle the spores sparsely over your medium. Try not to sow them too thickly as they may overcrowd each other (but this is not easy)!

Place your lid over the top and seal (or place inside ziplock bag and seal) to retain the humidity and moisture needed to promote germination.

Place in a shaded area, not in direct sunlight.

Ideal germination temperature is 18-25°C/65-77°F, initial signs of germination take 2-6 weeks.

Step 4
At first you will notice a moss type green film growing over the surface of the medium, following this you will see your little ferns beginning to develop, this can take a few months! Continue maintaining the moist, humid environment inside the container or zip lock bag until the sporophytes (young ferns) are 2-3 cm’s tall. At this stage they can be re-potted, however can survive happily in the above environment for 12 months if they have the room!

When transplanting, keep in similar conditions with each fern in its own zip lock bag for two weeks before opening the bag intermittently and allowing the sporophytes to slowly acclimatise to the outside environment over a week or two.

Acclimatizing can be achieved while they are still in their original environment if there is still room (they are not squished).

Final position can be in shade or full sun, if planting out into a full sun location, please acclimatise the fern slowly to avoid any damage or shock. Keep protected from cold winds and frost.

If no young ferns are evident after 12 weeks, try watering with a diluted liquid fertiliser (1/4 the normal plant dose) often this may encourage sperm release and fertilisation.

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