About
Dicksonia fibrosa, the golden tree fern, is an evergreen tree fern reaching up to 6 m tall with a stout, fibrous trunk and a terminal rosette of rich-green, two- to three-pinnate fronds to 2 m long with brown-scaled stalks at the base. A bold and architectural plant for a sheltered, moist, partly shaded garden.
About the genus
Dicksonia are evergreen tree ferns, sometimes deciduous in cold areas, with a stout, erect, trunk-like rhizome clothed in fibrous roots and bearing a rosette of large, pinnately divided fronds at the apex. Architectural and striking, they are grown in sheltered, moist, partly shaded gardens.
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeLoam, Sand
Soil pHAlkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureWell-drained
AspectSouth-facing, East-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH3
Plant details
Plant typeBulbs, Conservatory Greenhouse, Herbaceous Perennial
HabitColumnar upright
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.1-0.5 metres
Spread0-0.1 metre
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesPatio and container plants
Native toW North America
Care notes
CultivationRequires a warm, dry dormant season to ripen the corm, so best grown in an alpine house or cold frame, in free-draining compost, in full sun
PruningNo pruning required
PropagationPropagate by seed, or remove offsets in late summer
Pest resistanceGenerally pest-free
Disease resistanceGenerally disease-free