I saw tree fern for the first time in Yercaud and was extremely fascinated by them since then, as I had seen them grown only in pots.
Tree fern belongs to class Polypodiopsida/Pteridopsida and to order Cyatheales.
They can grow up to 20 meters tall with huge fronds on the top resembling a tree. They grow in abundance in tropical, subtropical, and temperate rainforests. Spores are developed on the undersides of the fronds.
Young fronds are a delight to watch as they emerge in the middle in coils and spreads as they mature. Each of the fronds can grow up to 6 feet or more in length.
Though the trunk looks like a palm trunk it is not strong like them but is actually a fibrous mass of roots.
There are thousands of species of tree ferns and they thrive in wet climate with green coverage. Tree ferns are popular in landscape gardening and provide the feel of a rain forest.
Propagation is from the offsets known as “pups” developing on the trunk. Growth is slow.
Ensure that the trunk is sprayed with water. Fertilize with a liquid fertilizer on the fronds and trunk once a month.
Pictures of Tree fern were taken in Sim’s park, Coonoor and Botanical Gardens, Singapore. The trunk of the tree fern made a perfect perch for the beautiful orchids in Singapore.