Light
Medium indirect • approx. 5,000–10,000 lux
Cyatheaceae
Dicksonia antarctica
- Curated selection:
Every plant is hand‑picked for health and visual appeal, so you receive a strong, well‑established plant.
- Representative photos:
Product images show a typical plant of this variety. Natural differences in leaf number, shape or variegation are normal, your plant will still match in type and quality.
- Size details:
Listed sizes refer to pot diameter (cm) and approximate overall height (cm) from the base of the pot to the tallest leaf or stem.
- “Get What You See” items:
If you are buying the exact plant shown in the photos, this is clearly stated in the size section.
- Individual photos:
One‑off photos are only provided when this is explicitly mentioned in the size section. - For special traits or small quirks, please check the full product description.
VAT included · plus
Your new plant has just travelled a long way and needs a calm start in its new home. For step-by-step unboxing and first-week care, check our after-delivery care guide. For deeper tips on how your plant settles in over the next weeks, read our houseplant acclimatization guide.
- Care basics , Main hub with links to all houseplant care guides.
- After delivery & first week , Unpacking, first placement, and early recovery.
- Light, How much light houseplants really need indoors.
- Watering , When to water and how to avoid root rot.
- Substrates & roots, Potting mixes and drainage for strong root systems.
- Humidity, When humidity matters and what actually helps.
- Fertilizing, Simple feeding routine without burning roots.
- Problems & pests, Yellow leaves, brown tips, bugs, and fixes that work.
- Semi-hydro, How to run low-maintenance mineral substrates.
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Dicksonia antarctica
Quick Care Guide
Watering
Water when ~5–15% dry
Substrate
Moisture-retentive + airy • Steady-moist • Organic-forward • Fine
Temperature
Ideal: 5–24 °C • Avoid below: -5 °C
Humidity
Humid 60–80 % +
Growth habit
Upright tree fern.
Support
not needed
Growth speed
Slow
Max size indoors
Max. height: 200 cm • Max. spread: 300 cm
Toxicity & safety
Non-toxic
Origin & habitat
SE. Queensland to SE. Australia; temperate habitat
How to read these values
These care values are quick reference points for indoor growing. Use them as a guide, then adjust for your space, pot size, substrate, temperature and how quickly the substrate dries.
For more detail, read the full product description or visit our Plant Care Guides.
- Light: level and approximate lux at leaf level.
- Watering: “% dry” shows how far the mix should dry before watering again; a lower % means the mix stays more evenly moist.
- Potting mix: a short profile of structure, drainage, moisture retention, base material and particle size.
- Temperature: “Ideal” shows the preferred range; “Avoid below” marks where stress risk increases.
- Humidity: target bands (Normal/Moist/Humid); consistency usually matters most.
- Growth habit: growth form (rosette, trailing, climbing) for placement and support.
- Support: shows whether a stake, pole or trellis is needed, optional or unnecessary.
- Growth speed: fast/average/slow under suitable indoor conditions; this is a guide, not a promise.
- Max size indoors: realistic long-term potential; the format differs for climbers and trailers.
- Toxicity & safety: irritating or toxic compounds and physical hazards such as spines or bristles.
- Origin & habitat: native region and typical habitat.
Can Dicksonia antarctica be grown outdoors in European climates?
Can stay outdoors year-round in parts of EuropeShow outdoor growing details
Practical cold limit outdoors
-5°C
Best outdoor setting
Sheltered urban microclimate, Mild coastal climate
Protection
Hard-frost protection
Outdoor note
Protection and winter
- Protection: Hard-frost protection
- Not suitable for: Exposed balconies, roof terraces or strong wind
Outdoor conditions
- Wind exposure: Sheltered
- Winter wet: Moderate
Dicksonia antarctica
The soft tree fern, Dicksonia antarctica, develops a fibrous upright trunk topped with a broad crown of divided green fronds. Height builds slowly as old frond bases and root fibres accumulate around the living caudex.
Young plants start as a low crown in the pot, then gain trunk presence over many seasons. The arched fronds make this species especially suited to cool, humid patios, conservatories and sheltered fern displays.
Soft tree fern specimen traits
- Temperate Australian tree fern with a thick fibrous caudex
- Large divided fronds held in a rounded crown
- Coiled croziers emerging from the central crown as fronds expand
- Slow trunk development over many seasons
- Suited to sheltered patios, conservatories and large containers
Australian forest habitat and trunk growth
Dicksonia antarctica is native to south-eastern Australia, from south-eastern Queensland through New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. In nature, it is associated with high-rainfall forests, cool rainforest gullies, creek lines and shaded wet forest habitats, from lowland sites into cooler upland forest conditions.
The trunk is a living caudex covered with fibrous adventitious roots. Moisture around this fibrous root mantle supports hydration, especially in warm or dry weather. New growth appears from the crown as coiled croziers that expand into large, divided fronds.
Soft tree fern care
- Light: Give bright shade or gentle filtered light. Sheltered light keeps the fronds fresh and supports trunk moisture.
- Watering: Keep the root ball evenly moist and wet the fibrous trunk during warm weather.
- Substrate: Use a humus-rich, moisture-retentive mix with reliable drainage, such as bark fines, composted organic matter and mineral drainage material.
- Humidity: Higher ambient humidity supports full frond expansion and clean edges.
- Temperature: Cool to mild conditions suit this species. Container plants need stronger winter protection than established ground-grown specimens.
- Winter care: Protect the crown during hard frost and prolonged cold saturation. Keep the roots lightly moist in winter.
- Feeding: Apply a diluted balanced fertiliser in spring and summer. Modest feeding suits its slow growth.
- Potting: Use a weighty drainage container. Large plants become top-heavy, so pot weight and balance matter.
- Frond care: Remove old fronds once they have browned, cutting cleanly near the trunk and clear of the crown.
Tree fern crown checks
- Crisp frond edges: Check root-ball moisture, trunk hydration and ambient humidity.
- Yellowing fronds in sun: Move the plant into brighter shade and stabilise watering.
- Crown protection: Shelter the central growing point in winter and keep cold water from sitting in the crown.
- Smaller new fronds: Review moisture, trunk hydration, pot stability and temperature after moving or repotting.
Trunk fibres and frond grooming
Collect trimmed Dicksonia antarctica fronds and dry fibres promptly, and wear gloves while grooming older growth if your skin reacts easily to fibrous plant material.
Dicksonia name background
The genus Dicksonia honours Scottish nurseryman and botanist James Dickson. The species epithet antarctica indicates its southern distribution. Its accepted botanical name is Dicksonia antarctica Labill., in the family Cyatheaceae.
Dicksonia antarctica develops a slow-forming soft tree fern trunk topped with a broad green crown in cool, humid conditions.
Plant names, growth habits, natural habitats and indoor care guidance are checked against trusted botanical, habitat and horticultural references before publication.View our plant care resources and references.
FAQs about Dicksonia antarctica
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