Plant
Soft Tree Fern
Dicksonia antarcticaAlso known as Tasmanian Tree Fern, Australian Tree Fern, Woolly Tree Fern, Man Fern
Soft tree ferns form lush, ancient understories across eastern Australia wet forests, growing slow trunks constructed from dense layers of fibrous roots. Broad fronds arch outwards up to four meters in length, forming a dramatic canopy that creates a damp, shaded microclimate for delicate epiphytes and mosses. In late spring, new fronds uncurl from the crown as silvery, fur-covered fiddleheads.
Forest FloorAncientOrnamental
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preySunlight, Water, Soil minerals
Predators
- Herbivorous insects
- Caterpillars
- Feral pigs
ThreatsLand clearing, illegal wild harvesting, severe wildfire
HabitatsTemperate rainforests, wet sclerophyll forests, moist gullies
Life span100–500+ years
Classification
- FamilyDicksoniaceae
- SpeciesDicksonia antarctica
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.
Responsible observation
- Garden Care: Water the fibrous trunk directly, as roots absorb moisture along its length.
- Observation: Look closely at the trunk to spot tiny ferns, mosses, and orchids growing as epiphytes.
- Protection: Avoid carving or removing fibrous material, which damages the living root structure.
Forest Companion (c) magriet b, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by magriet b · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) James, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Katja Schulz · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Jacqui Geux, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Jacqui Geux · cc-by
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