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Dicksonia antarctica

Common name:	Tree Fern	Family:	Dicksoniaceae
Author:	Labill.	Botanical references:	11, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	Although we have found no reports of toxicity for this species, a number of ferns contain carcinogens so some caution is advisable[200]. Many ferns also contain thiaminase, an enzyme that robs the body of its vitamin B complex. In small quantities this enzyme will do no harm to people eating an adequate diet that is rich in vitamin B, though large quantities can cause severe health problems. The enzyme is destroyed by heat or thorough drying, so cooking the plant will remove the thiaminase[172].
Range:	Australia - New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria.
Habitat:	Damp sheltered woodland slopes and moist gullies[144].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Tasmanian Tree Fern [H],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	antarctica = of Antarctic regions; arctica = of the arctic;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Polypodiales. Tree Fern family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen fern growing to 9m by 4m at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 8 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year. We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Edible Uses

Leaves; Stem.

The pith in the upper part of the trunk just below the growing point is eaten raw or roasted[46, 61, 154, 193]. It is rich in starch[105, 144] but also contains tannin and is astringent[154]. Descriptions of the taste vary from bitter to sweet, astringent and like a bad turnip[193]. The core of the plant near the growing tip is used[193]. Harvesting the stem kills the plant so this use cannot normally be condoned[193]. The stem contains about 61 kilocalories per 100g[193].
Young leaves - cooked. Harvested just before they unfurl, they are juicy and slimy, tasting like bitter celery[193].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Astringent.

Astringent[154].

Other Uses

Soil stabilization.

This species is used in New Zealand to stabilize roadside cuttings[200].

Cultivation details

Requires a sheltered woodland position and a moist soil[11, 200]. Strongly resents drought or dryness at the roots[200].
A very ornamental plant[1], it is hardy to about -5°c[184, 200], succeeding outdoors in the milder areas of Britain where it thrives and often self-sows in Cornish gardens[49]. One report says that some forms are hardy to at least -7°c[157]. Plants can tolerate snow but are intolerant of severe frosts[11, 200].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].
The 'trunk' of this plant is merely the decaying remains of earlier growth of the plant and forms a medium through which the roots grow[157]. Plants can be cut down and, if they are kept moist, the top portions can be replanted and will form new roots[157]. The stump, however, will not regenerate since it is simply dead organic matter[157].
It is best to leave old fronds on the plant in order to protect the trunk from cold and desiccation[166].

Propagation

Spores - can be sown at any time in a warm greenhouse. Surface sow and enclose the pot in a plastic bag in order to keep it moist. Place in light shade. Germinates in 1 - 3 months at 20°c. Prick out small clumps of plants when they are large enough to handle and grow on in a shaded part of the greenhouse for at least the first 2 years. Plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts. The spores can be stored dry for up to 10 years[200].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[49] Arnold-Forster. Shrubs for the Milder Counties.
Trees and shrubs that grow well in &ndndndnd and other mild areas of Britain. Fairly good, a standard reference book.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[144] Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976 ISBN 0-00-634436-4
A very good pocket guide.

[154] Ewart. A. J. Flora of Victoria.
A flora of eastern Australia, it is rather short on information that is useful to the plant project.

[157] Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. Collins. (Australia) 1988 ISBN 0-7322-0021-0
A lovely book, written in order to encourage Australian gardeners to grow their native plants. A little bit of information for the plant project.

[166] Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990
A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.

[172] Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.

[184] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30258-2
Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1900 species and cultivars.

[193] Low. T. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson. 1989 ISBN 0-207-14383-8
Well presented, clear information and good photographs. An interesting read for the casual reader as well as the enthusiast

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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