Plant · GBIF taxon 5529511
Common Tree Fern
Alsophila dregeiAlso known as Grassland Tree Fern, African Tree Fern, Southern Tree Fern
Common tree ferns stand as living relics along damp mountain streams and forest fringes throughout southern and sub-Saharan Africa. Their thick, fibrous trunks are topped by a magnificent crown of arching, deep green fronds that can reach up to three meters in length. These ancient plants excel at colonizing mist-shrouded gullies where constant moisture supports their spore-based reproduction.
EvergreenMoisture-LovingPrimitive
Licensed referenceUser:BotBln / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic (Photosynthetic)
Predators
- Herbivorous Insects
ThreatsHabitat clearance, frequent fires, and wild harvesting for horticulture
HabitatsForest margins, riverbanks, and moist mountain ravines
Life span50–100+ years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyCyatheaceae
- SpeciesAlsophila dregei
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- What to notice
- Recognizable by its thick, dark, fibrous trunk crowned with large, leathery bipinnate fronds near water sources.
- Support conservation
- Never remove wild plants or harvest fibrous trunk material; admire established wild specimens in place.
Responsible observation
- Finding Specimens: Search along permanently damp stream banks and cool, shaded mountain kloofs.
- Observing Spores: Inspect the undersides of mature fronds in late summer to view rows of round spore cases.
- Protecting Roots: Avoid trampling the soft, fibrous trunk base where sensitive air roots absorb moisture.
Ecological Counterpart JJ Harrison / CC BY-SA 3.0 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Close Relative
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